Basic Facts

Côte d’Ivoire, officially the République de Côte d’Ivoire, is a country in West Africa located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered to the north by Mali and Burkina Faso, to the southwest by Liberia, to the northwest by Guinea, and to the east by Ghana.

*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Ivory Coast.

Capital :
Yamoussoukro
Currency :
West African CFA franc (CFA, XOF)
Languages spoken :
French
Population :
27.74 million (2021 est.)
Minimum wage 2023 :
CFA 75,000 (monthly)
Cost of Living index :
$$ (78 of 139 nations)
Payroll Frequency :
Monthly/Biweekly
VAT - standard rate :
18%
GDP - real growth rate :
7% (2021 est.)

Statutory Holidays

The holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2024.

Date
Holiday Name
Extra Information
January 1
New Year’s Day
April 1
Easter Monday
Movable
April 7
Day after Laylat al-Qadr
Movable
April 10
Eid al Fitr
Movable
May 1
Labor Day
May 9
Ascension Day
Movable
May 20
Whit Monday
Movable
June 16-17
Eid al-Adha
Movable
August 7
Independence Day
August 15
Assumption of Mary
September 16
Prophet’s Birthday
November 1
All Saints Day
November 15
National Peace Day
December 25
Christmas Day

Contract Sharing Time


The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Côte d’Ivoire is 14 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.

NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.

What You Need To Know


  • Any woman in a medically certified state of pregnancy may terminate her employment contract without notice and without having to pay compensation for breach of contract.
  • Every worker receives, on the occasion of the birth of each of the three children an allowance known as the “worker’s household allowance”.
  • Female employees benefit from additional paid leave if they have dependent children.

Labor Conditions


Working Hours

The weekly working time may not exceed:

  • 40 hours per week for non-agricultural businesses;
  • 48 hours, per week, for farms, establishments, and agricultural businesses, within the limit of 2400 hours per year.
Overtime

Hours worked beyond the legal duration of work or the duration considered equivalent results in an increase in the actual salary which is fixed as follows:

Increase in the Salary Extra Hours Worked
15% From the 41st to 48th hour
50% Beyond the 47th hour
75% Hours worked at night
Probation Period

The employment contract, fixed-term or open-ended, may include a trial period. When the parties to an employment contract decide to subject their relationship to a trial period or renew it, the agreement must be in writing or supported by a letter of employment stating the length of the trial period. 

The maximum duration of the trial period is set as follows:

Length of Trial Period Type of Employees
8 days for workers paid by the hour, or 1 month for workers paid monthly Manual workers and employees
2 months Supervisors, Technicians, and similar
3 months Engineers, Executives, and similar
6 months Senior Managers

 

Termination Notice Period

The termination of an employment contract is subject to the party who initiates the termination providing notice. In the absence of collective agreements, a decree establishes the terms and duration of the notice, taking into account the duration of the contract and the professional categories in particular. The party who initiates contract termination must notify the other party in writing of its decision. In the case of mutual consent termination, no notice is required.

Any woman in a medically certified state of pregnancy may terminate her employment contract without notice and without having to pay compensation for breach of contract. The same option is offered to the mother during the breastfeeding period.

Leave / Time Off

Annual Leave

The worker acquires the right to paid leave, at the employer’s expense, at the rate of 2.2 working days per month of actual service, which is 26.4 days in a five-day working week. The right for an employee to actually take their leave begins after a period of effective service equal to one year.

The annual duration of the leave is increased by:

Additional Days Length of Employment
1 day 5 years
2 days 10 years
3 days 15 years
5 days 20 years
7 days 25 years
8 days 30 years

Sick Leave

Any sick worker has the obligation to inform their employer immediately or within a maximum period of 48 hours from the start date of their absence for health reasons. 

A sick worker, whose employment contract is suspended due to illness or accident, receives from the employer an allowance fixed under the following conditions:

Seniority in Company Workers and Employees Supervisors and Assimilated Technicians, Managers and Engineers
Before 12 months 1 month full salary plus half month salary the following month Full salary for a period equal to the notice period plus half salary for 3 months
12 months to 5 years 1 month full salary plus half month salary for three months Full salary for a period equal to 2 times the notice period plus the half salary for 4 months
From 5 to 10 years 2 months full salary plus half salary for four months Full salary for a period equal to twice the period of notice plus half salary for 4 months plus quarter salary for 2 years of presence beyond the fifth year
Beyond 10 years 2 months full salary plus half salary for five months

Parental Leave

Maternity Leave

The duration of maternity leave is assimilated into a period of actual work to determine the rights that the employee derives from her seniority.

During the 14-week period, she is also entitled to a maternity allowance and a daily allowance equal to the salary she was receiving at the time of the suspension of her contract. These benefits are payable by the social insurance institution to which the employee is affiliated.

From the third month of pregnancy, the woman is entitled, within the limits of the tariffs of public health facilities, to the:

  • Reimbursement of medical care related to the state of pregnancy;
  • Diapers;
  • Benefits from prenatal allowances.

Pregnant women are given time off to attend mandatory medical examinations. These absences do not result in a reduction in pay and are assimilated into a period of actual work for the purpose of determining the duration of paid leave as well as the legal or contractual rights that the employee has as a result of her seniority in the company.

Paternity Leave

The employee can take two days after the birth of a child. 

Other Types of Paid Leave

The worker with at least six months of presence in the company, within the limit of 10 working days per year, enjoys paid leave for the following cases:

Reason for the Paid Leave Length of the Paid Leave
Marriage of the worker 4 working days
Marriage of one of the worker’s children 2 working days
Marriage of a brother, or a sister 2 working days
Death of the spouse 5 working days
Death of a child, father, or mother of the worker 5 working days
Death of a brother, or a sister 2 working days
Death of a stepfather, or a mother-in-law 2 working days
Baptism of a child, or first communion 1 working day
Relocation 1 working day

Unpaid Leave

Permission of two days may be granted in the event of death and of one day in the event of marriage for the family members not mentioned in the “Other Types of Paid Leave” section.

Statutory Benefits

The employer must provide the Caisse Nationale de Prevoance Sociale (CNPS) with all the information relating to the identification of the workers concerned by the payment of contributions.

The Social Security deductions are detailed as follows:

Benefits

Employer Contributions

Employee Contributions

Monthly Cap

Family Benefits

5%

CFAF 75,000

Maternity Insurance

0.75%

CFAF 75,000

Accident Insurance

2% – 5%

CFAF 75,000

Public Pension

7.7%

6.3%

CFAF 2,852,523

CN Contribution

13%

Tax d’apprentissage

0.5%

TFPC

1.5%

CMU

CFAF 500

CFAF 500

Health Insurance

Social Insurance does not offer health insurance but instead covers only occupational accidents and illnesses.

Other Types of Insurances

Accident Insurance

The contribution rate varies from 2% to 5%, depending on the risk incurred by the worker due to the activity of the employer’s business. The determination of the risk by professional activity is set by order of the supervising minister taken after consulting the board of directors of the National Social Security Fund.

Contributions due to accidents at work and illnesses are entirely the responsibility of the employer, any agreement to the contrary is null and void, except in the case of voluntary insurance.

Unemployment Insurance

There is no unemployment insurance in the Ivory Coast. 

Public Pension

This rate is set at 14% of wages subject to contributions. The percentages for the distribution of employers’ and workers’ contributions to the retirement branch of the National Social Security Fund are set as follows:

  • 55% payable by employers (7.7% of total income);
  • 45% payable by workers (6.3% of total income).

The retirement branch includes:

  • Retirement pension;
  • The pension of the surviving spouse and the pension of orphans of father and mother;
  • The solidarity allowance;
  • Invalidity pension;
  • One-time allowance;
  • Reimbursement of contributions payable by the salaried worker.

An employee who is entitled to a retirement pension is:

  • Affiliated with the National Social Insurance Fund;
  • Reached the age of 60;
  • Has at least 15 years of salaried activity subject to contributions.

Other Statutory Benefits

Family Benefits

The rate of contributions intended to finance the branch of family benefits is set at 5.75% of monthly earnings subject to contributions, including 0.75% for maternity risk. The contributions due for family benefits are entirely the responsibility of the employer, any agreement to the contrary is null and void, except in the case of voluntary insurance.

The branch of family benefits includes:

  • Worker household allowances;
  • Prenatal allowances and maternity allowances;
  • Family allowances;
  • The daily allowances in favor of female employees;
  • Benefits in kind.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this Country Guide is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The contents of this Country Guide contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your situation. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this Country Guide without seeking the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content included in this Country Guide.

Information provided in this Country Guide is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. WorkMotion Software GmbH periodically adds, changes, improves, updates, or removes information without notice, and assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the contents of this Country Guide. This Country Guide may contain links to other websites. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.