Workforce Africa simplifies hiring, payroll, talent management as well as your compliance needs for employees and independent contractors in Chad. No need for a subsidiary or entity setup. From contracts and onboarding to taxes, payroll, and admin tasks, partnering with us — the Employer of Record in Chad, will help you focus on growth for greater levels of success.

How Employer of Record (EoR) in Chad Works 

Workforce Africa makes it hassle free to hire and manage your remote staff in Chad without having to first set up a subsidiary or entity in the country. We handle staff contract management and onboarding, payroll, compliance, taxes, and other administrative matters. With Workforce Africa, you can now focus more on strategic activities and growing your business. These items include >> 

1. Employment Contracts in Chad 

• Contract Types:
  • Indefinite (permanent)
  • Fixed-term – maximum 24 months, renewable once
  • Part-time / Casual / Seasonal
• Essential Clauses:
  • Job title & duties, workplace, hours,
  • Remuneration in XAF, benefits, leave,
  • Probation length, confidentiality, non-compete,
  • Termination and notice.

2. Working Hours in Chad 

Standard Working Hours: Working hours are set by current labor regulations and may vary depending on the type of job.

If there is any change to the normal working hours, it must first be discussed with employee representatives and then reported to the Labor Inspector before it can take effect.

• In most sectors, the standard workweek is 40 hours.
• However, Article 194 of the Labor Code also allows for a 39-hour workweek in specific cases or agreements.

Overtime Pay

If an employee works more than the legal weekly hours or their equivalent, they are entitled to overtime pay based on their base salary:

• +10% for the first 8 overtime hours
• +25% for overtime beyond 8 hours
• +50% for night overtime
• +50% for daytime overtime on rest days or public holidays
• +100% for night overtime on rest days or holidays

Note: If better overtime pay rates already exist under other agreements, those still apply.
Regular night work or non-working days do not earn overtime bonuses unless stated in specific agreements.

Making Up Lost Work Hours

If work stops due to accidents, emergencies, or weather, employees may be asked to recover lost hours, in line with labor laws. Only hours up to the legal weekly maximum can be recovered.

3. Observed National Holidays and Vacation   

These national holidays are celebrated in Chad: 

• 1 Jan: New Year’s Day
• 8 Mar: International Women’s Day
• Eid al-Fitr (Korité): Date Varies
• 21 Apr: Easter Monday
• 1 May: Labour Day
• Eid al-Adha (Tabaski): Date Varies
• 11 Aug: Independence Day
• Prophet’s Birthday: Date Varies
• 1 Nov: All Saints’ Day
• 28 Nov: Proclamation of the Republic
• 1 Dec: Freedom & Democracy Day
• 25 Dec: Christmas Day

4. Expats, Visas & Work Permits 

A. Entry Visa

Foreign nationals who are not visa-exempt must obtain either a single-entry or multiple-entry visa prior to travel. Alternatively, travelers may be permitted to enter with a letter of entry authorisation, allowing for visa issuance on arrival. To apply, the following documents are typically required:

• A passport valid for at least six months,
• A completed visa application form,
• A recent passport-sized photograph,
• A valid yellow fever vaccination card, and
• An official letter of invitation from the host company.

Upon arrival, travelers must register with the local police authorities within 72 hours to comply with immigration regulations.

B. Work/residence permit:

Employers are required to submit applications for foreign hires to the National Office for Employment Promotion (ONAPE). The application must include the following supporting documents:

• A signed fixed-term employment contract,
• A valid employment authorisation (initially issued for up to 12 months),
• A current residence permit or card, and
• Proof that no suitably qualified Chadian national is available to fill the position.

Employment authorisations are renewable, subject to continued compliance with applicable regulations. A Chad EoR offers this service to help businesses manage their clients. 

5. Paid Leaves  

Employees earn the right to take paid leave after completing one year of active work, or an equivalent period as defined in Article 217 of the Labor Code. Unless the company offers better conditions, all employees are entitled to 2 working days of paid leave for each month of active work.

Additional Leave Based on Worker Category:

• Young workers (under 18 years old): 2 working days per month
• Mothers with children under 14 (registered officially): 1 extra day per child per year
• Employees with long service:
  • After 10 years: +2 extra days
  • After 20 years: +4 extra days
  • After 25 years: +6 extra days

The employer decides when leave can be taken, based on business needs. They will try to consider the employee’s preferences. In some companies, leave periods may be set in advance through company agreements. Before the leave starts, the employer must pay a leave allowance for the full period, as required by Article 220 of the Labor Code.

Special Types of Leave:

Family Events (Paid Leave)
Employees may take paid leave for family events if they provide official documents:

• Employee’s own marriage: 2 days
• Marriage of a child or sibling: 1 day
• Death of spouse or direct family member: 4 days
• Wife’s childbirth (paternity leave): 1 day

The employee must notify their manager within 48 hours for childbirth or death. For other events, notice must be given 48 hours in advance.
If travel is needed, extra time off may be given by agreement, but this time will be unpaid.

Personal Leave (Unpaid): Employees may ask for unpaid personal leave. Approval depends on the employer’s operational needs. This type of leave temporarily pauses the employment contract. If an employee leaves the company before using their leave, they will receive a payment for the unused days based on what they earned.

Travel and Baggage

Family Travel: Employee and family travel, including baggage, follows the rules in Articles 281 to 285 of the Labor Code.

Baggage Transport: The employer must pay for transporting the employee’s baggage in addition to any standard free baggage allowance. Travel must follow normal routes and methods chosen by the employer.

Sick Leave: Employees receive full pay for 1 to 6 months, depending on their length of service. If illness persists beyond this period, compensation is reduced to 50% of salary, subject to the statutory maximum. A medical certificate is required to justify sick leave.

Maternity Leave: Female employees are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave, comprised of 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after childbirth. Maternity benefits are usually shared equally between the CNSS (National Social Security Fund) and the employer, covering the employee’s full salary. If the CNSS does not cover the full amount, the employer must pay the difference to ensure the employee receives their full pay during maternity leave.

Paternity Leave: Fathers are entitled to 1 to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave, depending on the applicable collective agreement or company policy. The Labor Code guarantees a minimum of 1 day of paid leave for new fathers.

6. Statutory Deductions   

A. Social Security Contributions

Under the CNSS (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale) scheme, which covers pensions, family benefits, and workplace injury insurance, contribution obligations are as follows:

• Employer Contribution: 16.5% of the employee’s gross salary
• Employee Contribution: 3.5% of their gross salary
• Contribution Ceiling: Contributions are calculated up to a maximum of XAF 500,000 per month.

B. Tax Brackets and Rates

• Personal Income Tax:
  • 0 %: XAF 0 – 800,000
  • 10 %: XAF 800 001 – 2,500,000
  • 20 %: XAF 2,500,001 – 7,500,000
  • 30 %: > XAF 7 500 000
• Corporate Income Tax: 35 %
• Value-Added Tax: 19 – 25 % standard rate.

7. Health Insurance 

There is no comprehensive state medical insurance. The employer must pay childbirth-related costs not covered by CNSS, and most multinationals offer private health schemes to attract talent.

8. Additional Compensation and Benefits  

While not mandated by law, some employers might offer additional benefits, such as: 

• Occupational Coverage: Employers are legally required to register their employees with the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS).
• Pensions: Employers and employees are subject to mandatory contributions to the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS). Under the CNSS scheme, the minimum pension payable upon retirement is set at 60% of the national minimum wage.
• Paid National Holidays: Employees receive full pay when not required to work on statutory holidays.

Seniority Bonus

All employees receive a seniority bonus based on the number of years they’ve worked continuously for the company regardless of the job location.

Key Points:

• Time taken for paid leave, special leave, or training does not break seniority.
• If an employee is laid off due to redundancy after at least 1 year of service and rehired within a year, they keep their previous seniority.
• Any earlier service that has already been compensated during a previous termination may be excluded from the new seniority calculation.

Bonus Rates (Based on Minimum Wage for the Employee’s Job Category):

• 3% after 3 years of service
• +1% for each additional year from the 4th to the 25th year

9. Termination/ Severance in Chad 

A. Probationary Period

Up to 3 months for most employees (6 months for executives).

Notice Periods
Notice requirements vary based on the employee’s length of service and payment frequency:

• Employees with 5 or more years of service: Entitled to a minimum of 8.67 weeks’ notice
• Employees with less than 5 years: Entitled to 15 days to 1 month, depending on whether they are paid daily, weekly, or monthly

Severance Pay (in cases of redundancy)

Severance pay is calculated based on the employee’s gross monthly salary over the last 12 months. The amount is determined as follows:

• 25% of one month’s salary for each year of service during the first 5 years
• 30% for each year between the 6th and 10th year
• 35% for each year from the 11th year onward

B. Termination of Employment

• Permissible Grounds for Termination: Employment may be lawfully terminated for the following reasons:
  • Incapacity or misconduct of the employee
  • Economic redundancy
  • Force majeure (unforeseeable, unavoidable events)
  • Expiry of a fixed-term contract
  • Mutual agreement between employer and employee
  • Termination based on discrimination, pregnancy, or trade union activity is strictly prohibited and considered invalid under labour law.
• Termination Process:
  • Written explanation of grounds.
  • Statutory/contractual notice or pay in lieu.
  • Settlement of outstanding remuneration, leave & contributions by next payday.
  • Consultation with staff reps & Labour Inspector for redundancy; severance per grid.
  • Employee may contest before Labour Tribunal within 3 months.