The Republic of Ghana is a West African country situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It extends to an area of 238,533 square kilometers. Ghana is bordered to the northwest and north by Burkina Faso, to the east by Togo, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ghanaian economy is a mixture of private and public enterprise. About three-fifths of the GDP is derived from the services sector, while the agriculture and industry sectors each contribute about one-fifth and one-fourth of the GDP.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Ghana.
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The Republic of Ghana is a West African country situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It extends to an area of 238,533 square kilometers. Ghana is bordered to the northwest and north by Burkina Faso, to the east by Togo, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ghanaian economy is a mixture of private and public enterprise. About three-fifths of the GDP is derived from the services sector, while the agriculture and industry sectors each contribute about one-fifth and one-fourth of the GDP.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Ghana.
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2026 and are critical for hiring in Ghana planning:
Employees are entitled to 13 public holidays.
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2026.
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Saturday |
| January 7 | Constitution Day | |
| March 6 | Independence Day | Sunday |
| March 20 | Eid-Ul-Fitr | Movable |
| April 3 | Good Friday | Movable |
| April 6 | Easter Monday | Movable |
| May 1 | Worker's Day | |
| May 27 | Eid-Ul-Adha | Movable |
| July 1 | Republic Day | |
| August 4 | Founders’ Day | |
| September 21 | Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day | |
| December 4 | Farmer’s Day | Movable |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Sunday |
| December 26 | Boxing Day |
The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Ghana is 3 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.
The social security contribution scheme is structured into three tiers, the first two of which require mandatory contributions. The mandatory contribution rates for the first two tiers of social security schemes are as follows:
| Employer Contributions | Employee Contributions |
| 13% | 5.5% |
The maximum contribution is on a salary of GHS 35,000.
The hours of work of a worker should be a maximum of eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.
Where the normal hours of work are continuous, a worker is entitled to at least 30 minutes’ break in the course of the work, but the break forms part of the normal hours of work.
Where a worker in an undertaking works after the hours of work fixed by the rules of that undertaking, the additional hours done should be regarded as overtime work. Overtime rates are not fixed by law but are usually fixed by the relevant employment contract or collective agreement. Overtime hours are typically paid at 150% of the normal hourly wage.
Where, as a condition for the engagement of an employee, a contract of employment requires probation, the contract should specify the duration of the probation for the employee. The standard practice is six months.
The notice period prior to termination depends on the contract type and length as follows:
| Contract Length/Type | Notice Period |
| Contract determinable at will | No notice |
| Weekly contracts | 7 days |
| Contract of fewer than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| Contract of 3 years or more | 1 month |
NOTE: The termination notice period for an employee with disabilities should not be shorter than one month.
The hours of work of a worker should be a maximum of eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.
Where the normal hours of work are continuous, a worker is entitled to at least 30 minutes’ break in the course of the work, but the break forms part of the normal hours of work.
Where a worker in an undertaking works after the hours of work fixed by the rules of that undertaking, the additional hours done should be regarded as overtime work. Overtime rates are not fixed by law but are usually fixed by the relevant employment contract or collective agreement. Overtime hours are typically paid at 150% of the normal hourly wage.
Where, as a condition for the engagement of an employee, a contract of employment requires probation, the contract should specify the duration of the probation for the employee. The standard practice is six months.
The notice period prior to termination depends on the contract type and length as follows:
| Contract Length/Type | Notice Period |
| Contract determinable at will | No notice |
| Weekly contracts | 7 days |
| Contract of fewer than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| Contract of 3 years or more | 1 month |
NOTE: The termination notice period for an employee with disabilities should not be shorter than one month.
The social security contribution scheme is structured into three tiers, the first two of which require mandatory contributions. The mandatory contribution rates for the first two tiers of social security schemes are as follows:
| Employer Contributions | Employee Contributions |
| 13% | 5.5% |
The maximum contribution is on a salary of GHS 35,000.
WorkMotion operates in Ghana through its trusted partner network, giving your company access to compliant employment infrastructure without the time and cost of setting up a local entity.
Here is how the process works from signed offer to first payslip.
WorkMotion generates an employment contract aligned with Ghana’s Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651). All employers must provide written employment contracts specifying the terms and conditions of employment, and WorkMotion handles this automatically.
The contract covers job description, remuneration, working hours, notice periods, and termination conditions, all drafted to meet Ghanaian statutory requirements.
Contracts are shared with the employee for e-signing, typically within five business days of receiving all required information.
Before the first payroll run, every new employee must be registered with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
SSNIT contributions cannot be filed for an employee without a SSNIT number, and operators who skip this step create unallocated contributions requiring manual reconciliation.
WorkMotion’s partner network manages this registration as part of onboarding, ensuring the employee has a valid SSNIT number before payroll is processed.
Ghana’s payroll system features a two-tier SSNIT structure: Tier 1 requires a 13% employer contribution and 5.5% employee contribution, while Tier 2 adds another 5% from the employer to a private pension trustee.
WorkMotion calculates and routes all three components:
Payroll is processed in Ghanaian cedis (GHS), the statutory currency of remuneration.
WorkMotion enrols employees in all statutory entitlements required under Ghanaian law. Employers must provide at least 15 working days of paid annual leave per year, 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, and five days of paternity leave within three months of birth.
WorkMotion tracks these entitlements within the platform and flags any changes as Ghana’s Revised Labour Bill progresses through parliament.
Both the withheld income tax (PAYE) and the SSNIT contributions must be remitted to the respective authorities by the 15th day of the month following the month of deduction.
WorkMotion’s partner network handles all monthly filings on schedule, covering GRA PAYE remittance, SSNIT Tier 1 contributions, and Tier 2 routing to the employee’s chosen fund manager.
A penalty of 3% per month is charged on outstanding SSNIT contributions, making timely remittance a compliance priority that WorkMotion manages on your behalf.
Ghana’s labour regulations are actively evolving. The Government of Ghana proposed significant revisions to its labour laws in 2024, expected to impact contract terms, dispute resolution, workplace safety, and wage policies.
The national daily minimum wage is updated annually by the National Tripartite Committee. The current rate is GHS 19.97 per day, effective 1 March 2025, rising to GHS 21.77 from 1 January 2026.
WorkMotion monitors these changes and updates employment terms, payroll calculations, and statutory benefits accordingly, so your team does not need to track Ghanaian regulatory updates independently.
For most companies hiring one to five employees in Ghana, the comparison between EOR and entity setup is straightforward, but it is worth understanding exactly where the differences sit.
| Factor | WorkMotion EOR | Ghana Entity Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | Per-employee monthly fee; no capital outlay | Foreign wholly-owned entity: minimum capital of $500,000 required under GIPC Act; plus legal, registration, and advisory fees (estimated) |
| Time to first hire | Days from signed contract | Weeks to months: registration with the Registrar General’s Department, GRA, SSNIT, and GIPC registration for foreign investors, each adding sequential steps |
| Ongoing legal exposure | WorkMotion’s partner network holds compliance responsibility for employment law, payroll accuracy, and statutory filings | Your entity is directly liable for all labour law compliance, PAYE remittance, SSNIT contributions, annual GRA returns, and RGD annual filings |
| Ongoing admin burden | Payroll, contributions, and compliance monitoring handled by WorkMotion | Internal or outsourced HR, payroll, legal, and tax functions required in-country |
| Exit flexibility | Offboard employees through the platform; no entity wind-down required | Entity dissolution requires formal deregistration with RGD, GRA, and SSNIT: a multi-step process with its own timeline and cost |
EOR fits companies that need to hire in Ghana quickly, want to test the market before committing to a permanent structure, or are hiring a small number of specialist roles where entity overhead is disproportionate.
Foreign companies should note that GIPC minimum capital requirements vary by structure:
For most companies, EOR is the faster and lower-risk route into the market. If you want to understand exactly how the model works before you commit, read our guide on what an EOR really means.
Ghana’s compliance framework has several layers that are easy to underestimate from a distance. These are the areas where foreign employers most commonly create problems for themselves.
A common error is applying SSNIT contributions to total gross salary instead of basic salary. Ghana’s SSNIT Tier 1 and Tier 2 contributions are calculated on basic salary only, not on allowances, bonuses, or non-cash benefits.
Applying the 13% employer contribution to total gross consistently overstates the contribution base and creates reconciliation issues. WorkMotion’s payroll engine applies contributions to the correct base from day one.
Operators who onboard employees and submit payroll before completing SSNIT registration create unallocated contributions requiring manual reconciliation.
Every employee needs a SSNIT number before their first payroll is processed, and that registration requires specific documentation, including a GhanaCard or equivalent valid ID. WorkMotion’s onboarding workflow flags this requirement and completes registration before payroll is submitted.
Ghana’s Budget Statement is delivered each November and revises PAYE bands effective January. Operators who do not update their payroll engine run the first one to three months on prior-year rates.
This creates both over- and under-withholding depending on the employee’s income bracket. WorkMotion updates its payroll calculations in line with each annual GRA revision, so the correct rates apply from 1 January each year.
Monthly PAYE remittances to the GRA are separate from the annual employer declaration. The annual employer declaration to GRA, due 30 April, is separate from the monthly remittance returns and is missed by operators used to systems that combine both.
Missing this filing creates penalties and flags the employer for GRA scrutiny. WorkMotion’s partner network handles both the monthly cycle and the annual return.
Failing to account for non-cash benefits, such as housing, car, and meals, in PAYE calculations is a consistent compliance gap for foreign employers.
Ghana’s tax rules require these benefits to be included in the employee’s taxable income. Employers who exclude them under-withhold PAYE and expose both themselves and the employee to back-tax liability. WorkMotion’s payroll setup captures all benefit components at onboarding.
Companies that attempt to hire in Ghana through an informal arrangement, such as paying a local contractor as if they were an employee, or operating without proper entity registration, face compounding risk.
Foreign companies must comply with Ghana Investment Promotion Centre requirements; under the GIPC Act, 2013 (Act 865), businesses with foreign participation must register with GIPC before commencing operations.
Using an Employer of Record removes this exposure entirely. WorkMotion’s partner network is the legal employer, and your company does not need its own Ghanaian entity to hire compliantly.
SMEs based in Germany and the Netherlands, typically 50 to 300 employees in B2B SaaS, fintech, or AI, use WorkMotion to hire senior developers, product managers, and data engineers in Ghana.
Ghana is attracting growing interest as a destination for BPO operations and call centres, supported by its stable democracy and English-speaking workforce. For European tech companies facing long vacancy times at home, Ghana’s English-speaking graduate talent pool offers a practical alternative without the language barrier that complicates hiring in other African markets.
UK-based e-commerce and digital services companies with distributed team models hire customer success, operations, and marketing roles in Ghana through WorkMotion.
These companies are typically 100 to 500 employees, already running remote-first operations across multiple time zones, and looking to extend their team into West Africa without adding entity overhead in a new jurisdiction. WorkMotion’s partner network handles the employment infrastructure; the company manages the day-to-day work.
US-headquartered companies entering African markets, often in green tech, healthtech, or NGO-adjacent sectors, use WorkMotion to hire local programme leads, country managers, or business development staff in Ghana.
These companies need a single EOR provider that covers both their European hiring corridors and their African expansion, rather than managing separate vendors per region. WorkMotion’s 160+ country coverage, backed by IEC Gold Compliance Certification, gives them a single point of accountability across markets, whether that’s Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, or another African corridor.
European NGOs and development organisations with programmes in West Africa hire project coordinators, field managers, and technical advisors in Ghana through WorkMotion.
These organisations typically have small HR teams and cannot justify the overhead of a local entity for a fixed-term programme. WorkMotion’s EOR model gives them compliant employment contracts, payroll in Ghanaian cedis, and statutory benefits administration, without requiring a permanent Ghanaian legal presence.
Ghana offers a stable, English-speaking workforce with growing depth in technology, services, and professional roles, and WorkMotion gives you a direct path to hiring there compliantly, without setting up a local entity.
Through WorkMotion’s partner network, your new hire gets a locally compliant contract, payroll processed in Ghanaian cedis, and full statutory benefits from day one. You stay focused on the work; WorkMotion handles the SSNIT registrations, PAYE filings, and labour law compliance that come with every Ghanaian employment relationship.
Before you commit, use WorkMotion’s employment cost calculator to see the full employer cost for a Ghana hire, including salary, SSNIT contributions, and service fees, with no surprises.
When you are ready to move forward, Book a Demo and speak with a WorkMotion expert about your Ghana hiring plans.
WorkMotion hires employees in Ghana through a trusted partner network rather than a directly owned entity. This means your employees receive locally compliant contracts, payroll processed in Ghanaian cedis, and full statutory benefits administration, with WorkMotion’s partner network holding the legal employer responsibilities in-country. The compliance infrastructure, SSNIT registrations, and GRA filings are all managed through this network, giving your company a compliant employment relationship without needing your own Ghanaian entity.
Ghana operates a two-tier SSNIT pension structure. Tier 1 requires a 13% employer contribution and a 5.5% employee contribution, both calculated on basic salary only, not on total gross, allowances, or non-cash benefits. Tier 2 adds a further 5% employer contribution, routed to the employee’s chosen private pension fund manager. Applying contributions to total gross rather than basic salary is one of the most common payroll errors foreign employers make in Ghana, and WorkMotion’s payroll engine applies the correct calculation base from the first pay run.
Ghana uses a progressive PAYE system administered by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), with income tax bands revised annually through the Budget Statement delivered each November and effective from 1 January the following year. Employers must remit withheld PAYE to the GRA by the 15th of the month following deduction, and separately file an annual employer declaration by 30 April each year, a filing that is frequently missed by companies used to systems that combine monthly and annual returns. Non-cash benefits such as housing, vehicles, and meals must also be included in the employee’s taxable income for PAYE purposes.
Under Ghana’s Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), employees are entitled to a minimum of 15 working days of paid annual leave per year. Maternity leave is 14 weeks at full pay, and paternity leave is five days, to be taken within three months of the child’s birth. These entitlements are non-negotiable minimums: employment contracts cannot reduce them below the statutory floor, and WorkMotion’s contracts are drafted to reflect these requirements from the outset.
Ghana’s Labour Act permits a probationary period of up to six months, during which either party may terminate employment with one week’s notice. After probation, notice periods are tied to the employee’s pay frequency, typically one month’s notice for monthly-paid employees. Termination without following the correct notice or procedural requirements can expose the employer to claims under the Labour Act, making contract drafting precision a material compliance concern rather than a formality.
Onboarding timelines in Ghana depend on completing SSNIT registration before the first payroll run: every employee requires a valid SSNIT number, which in turn requires a GhanaCard or equivalent valid ID. Once all required employee documentation is received, WorkMotion’s partner network typically completes contract generation and SSNIT registration within five business days. Delays most commonly occur when employee documentation is incomplete at the start of the process, so WorkMotion’s onboarding workflow flags these requirements upfront.
The total employer cost in Ghana includes gross salary, the 13% Tier 1 SSNIT contribution, the 5% Tier 2 contribution, and WorkMotion’s service fee, all calculated on the correct statutory base. Ghana’s minimum daily wage is also updated annually by the National Tripartite Committee, with the current rate set at GHS 19.97 per day from 1 March 2025, rising to GHS 21.77 from 1 January 2026. Use WorkMotion’s employment cost calculator to see a full cost breakdown for your Ghana hire before you commit, or Book a Demo to speak with a WorkMotion expert about your specific hiring plans.
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