Leave Policy In Ghana

Earned Leave in Ghana

• Every employee is entitled to at least 15 days of paid annual leave in Ghana.
• The worker has the right to take their annual leave in two equal parts.
• While employees are entitled to an uninterrupted period of annual leave, in cases of urgent necessity, employers may ask them to interrupt their leave and return to work.
•  In such instances, the employer is legally obligated to compensate for any expenses incurred due to the interruption and ensure that the employee can use the remainder of the leave at any time thereafter.

Maternity Leave in Ghana

• All female employees receive 12 weeks of fully paid maternity leave in Ghana. However, they might be required to produce a medical certificate from a healthcare professional or a midwife indicating their expected delivery date.
• If pregnancy complications occur or if the worker gives birth to two or more children, they are entitled to an additional two weeks of maternity leave in Ghana.
• If the employee suffers from any illness due to their pregnancy, they shall be entitled to extra days of maternity leave. However, this can only be availed if it has been medically certified by a medical practitioner, and the healthcare professional will also determine the duration of the leave.
• Nursing mothers are also entitled to an hour of work interruption to nurse their babies. Employers are legally obliged to treat this as working hours and pay accordingly.
• The Labor Law 2003 further stipulates that no employee can be dismissed for being absent from work on maternity leave.
• In June 2024, the Ghanaian parliament finalized the draft Labor (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Under clause 2 of the bill, the government plans to increase maternity leave by 17-26 weeks. This will also apply to female workers who adopt a child under three months of age.

Parental Leave in Ghana

Employees are currently not allowed to avail of any parental leave in Ghana.

Paternity Leave in Ghana

• There are currently no provisions for paternity leave in Ghana.
• But, with the Labor (Amendment) Bill 2023, the government plans to allow all male workers two to four weeks of paternity leave. This will also apply to male workers who adopt a child under three months of age.
• To claim this entitlement and its associated benefits and remuneration during the leave period, the employee must furnish a medical certificate highlighting the expected delivery date.

Adoption Leave in Ghana

Employees are currently not entitled to any adoption leave in Ghana.

Public Holidays in Ghana

Employees are entitled to the following national holidays in Ghana.

• New Year’s Day
• Constitution Day
• Independence Day
• Eid-Ul-Fitr
• Eid-Ul-Adha
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• May Day
• Founder’s Day
• Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day
• Farmer’s Day
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day.

Under the labor regulations, all employees must be provided with their remuneration during these public holidays in Ghana.

Sick Leave Policy in Ghana

• The labor laws do not specify any provision about sick leave in Ghana or its duration. 
• However, it states that employees are entitled to sick leave, provided that a medical practitioner backs it and is independent of annual earned leave.

Casual Leave

• Under the revised policy framework on leave entitlements, public service employees can take ten days of casual leave. However, this leave only applies after their annual leave has been exhausted.

Unpaid Leave in Ghana

• Unpaid leave is usually provided to employees who wish to take additional days off work beyond their paid time off allowance.
• In Ghana, employees in the public service sector receive unpaid study leave of a maximum of two years.

Other leaves

Apart from these, employees enjoy certain other types of leaves in Ghana. They are,

Study leave (with pay)

• According to Ghana Health Services' study leave policy, employees can take time off to undertake an approved course.
• The goal is to enable such individuals to attain their career goals and to fill future job vacancies in the Service.
• Under these guidelines, employees can avail up to a maximum of two years of study leave. 

Compassionate leave 

• Compassionate leave is usually granted to employees who need to care for an ailing family member or attend funeral arrangements. It is often referred to as bereavement leave.
• The total duration of compassionate leave in Ghana for public service employees is ten days.

Examinations leave

• Workers employed in the public service sector are provided up to ten days of examination leave.

Sports leave

• Public service employees in Ghana enjoy five working days of sports leave. 

Embarkation and disembarkation leave

• This is a paid leave granted to public service employees who travel overseas for work-related reasons.
• Under Ghana's labor guidelines, employees can take two days of leave for a short course and ten working days for a long course. 

Leave of absence

• Public service employees can take up to one year of leave of absence in Ghana. 

Sabbatical leave

• Sabbatical leave refers to time off from work wherein employees can pursue their interests for professional or personal development. 
• Currently, there are no provisions for sabbatical leave in Ghana.

Easily Navigate the Leave Policy in Ghana with Skuad

Understanding these different types of Ghana leaves, their individual requirements, and eligibility criteria is extremely important when hiring employees. Most businesses face difficulties complying with them, leading to legal lawsuits or expensive penalties and fines. 

Skuad’s global EOR solution can help you prevent all these complexities. Our comprehensive platform enables you to manage all aspects of international hiring, including handling leaves and approvals, from one single space. 

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FAQs

What is the leave law in Ghana?

The Labor Act 2003 is Ghana's main employment law, which includes various provisions related to paid and unpaid leave policies for workers in this country. 

How many leave days are there in Ghana?

Each employee is guaranteed at least 15 days of paid annual leave apart from Ghana holidays.

How many types of leaves are there in Ghana?

Workers avail themselves of various types of leave in Ghana throughout their employment tenure. A few examples are annual paid leave, maternity leave, and sick leave.

What are the HR laws in Ghana?

All employers wishing to hire workers from Ghana must comply with the Labor Act 2003. This main labor law regulates the employee-employer relationship in the country. Under this act, employees can work a maximum of eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. 

What is the basic salary in Ghana?

The basic salary of an employee in Ghana might differ from individual to individual based on their experience level, job role, industry type, or even the organization itself. However, employers must comply with Ghana's government-mandated minimum wage requirements, which are currently set at GHS 18.15 per day.