Angola HR Information

Updated on: 2025/08/05 15:25 (UTC)

Overview

The General Labour Law, which went into effect in 2015, governs all aspects of the employment relationship in Angola. Other major legislation affecting employment includes the Trade Union Law, the Regulations on the Exercise of Professional Activities by Foreign Non-Resident Employees, and the Law on the Right to Collective Bargaining.

Hiring

Employment Contracts

An employment contract must be put in writing if the employee requests it, if the term of employment is fixed or if the employee is a foreign worker or minor.

A written contract must contain at least the following information:

• full name and address of employee and employer;
• description of the employee’s duties and workplace;
• normal weekly work hours;
• amount, form, and period for payment of wages or salary;
• description of benefits;
• start date and
• signature of employee and employer.

In large firms, the employment contract for a fixed period may be successively renewed for up to five years. In medium, small and micro-enterprises, the contract for a fixed period may be successively renewed up to ten years.

An employment contract may specify a probationary period, during which either party may terminate the employment relationship without notice or compensation. Employment contracts for an unlimited term are always subject to an implied probation period of 60 days.

The duration of the employment agreement can be negotiated between the employee and employer and can be renewed twice.

Employers may draw up internal regulations, directives, instructions, or standards to delegate and define the tasks of workers. Such rules are to be posted in the workplace in a common area frequented by employees.

Telework. On Feb. 17, 2022, Presidential Decree 52/22 was published that regulates teleworking conditions for employment. This order enters into force 30 days after the publication date.

Restrictions on Hiring

The minimum work age is 14. A parent, guardian, legal representative or institution must give permission for a child from 14 to 16 years of age to work. For minors over 16 years of age, such authorization may be implied. An employment contract with a minor must be in writing.

Employers must avoid any risk to the safety and health of minors in their service.

Minors under the age of 18 should undergo an annual medical examination designed to evaluate their physical and mental capacity to carry out their duties.

Minors under 16 years of age may not work more than six hours per day and 34 hours per week. They may not work overtime or between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. They are also prohibited from working in circumstances that are harmful to their physical, mental or moral development and may not work in theaters, nightclubs, or cabarets.

Minors 16 to 18 years of age may not work more than seven hours per day and 39 hours per week. If authorized by the government, they may work overtime up to two hours daily and 60 hours per year.

A minor’s work schedule must be arranged so that it does not interfere with attending school.

Hiring foreign workers. The hiring of foreign nonresident citizens is only permitted when the company’s total staff includes at least 70 percent Angolan workers.

Recordkeeping

Tax records must generally be kept for a minimum of five years. No other provisions are included in Angola’s labor code covering recordkeeping.

Background Checks

Any employee likely to be employed beyond three months must submit medical certification of adequate health for the job. Minors under the age of 18 should undergo an annual medical examination designed to evaluate their physical and mental capacity to carry out their duties.

Foreign employees must submit medical certification as part of the application for a work visa.

Before beginning night work and on a regular basis thereafter, employees must undergo a medical examination to determine their fitness.

Decree No. 43/03, Regulation on HIV/AIDS, Employment and Vocational Training, prohibits employers from testing or monitoring HIV/AIDS status as a condition of hiring or during employment.

Noncompetition Agreements

An employment contract may contain a clause prohibiting an employee from competing with an employer after leaving employment. The restriction may not exceed three years and may cover only activities that may cause actual harm to the former employer as unfair competition.

Reference Citations

Employment Contracts: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 14-19

Restrictions on Hiring: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 254-259

Background Checks: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 166-167

Noncompetition Agreements: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 45

Immigration and Work Permits

In General

Employers are only permitted to hire foreign nonresident citizens when the company’s total staff includes at least 70 percent Angolan workers. Angolan companies seeking to hire a foreign worker must provide the applicant with a contract of employment signed by a company representative and stating specifically the work to be performed, the duration of the contract, and the employer’s commitment to taking full financial responsibility for the applicant. The applicant must submit this document to obtain a work visa.

Visas and Work Permits

To enter Angola, visitors from all countries other than Namibia require a visa, which must be obtained in advance from the Angolan embassy or consulate in the country of origin.

To obtain a regular visa, a traveler must submit the following documents in Portuguese:

• two completed application forms;
• two recent passport-size photographs;
• a passport valid for at least six months;
• documentation or correspondence relating to the purpose of the journey or an invitation letter addressed to the consulate;
• if the applicant is a foreign permanent resident in the U.S., a copy of the applicant’s green card;
• a letter of invitation sent by the individual or institution to be contacted in Angola;
• a copy of the applicant’s travel itinerary;
• a certified check or money order in the amount specified by the embassy or consulate and
• evidence that the traveler has sufficient funds to undertake the trip, usually a bank statement or letter from the applicant’s employer.

In addition, those seeking a work visa must supply both original and duplicate copies of:

• the worker’s contract signed by a company representative and stating specifically the work to be performed, the duration of the contract and the employer’s commitment to taking full financial responsibility for the applicant;
• two additional application forms;
• two additional passport-size photos;
• a notarized affidavit indicating that the applicant will respect the laws of Angola;
• a criminal record certificate, authenticated by the Secretary of State, stating that the applicant has no pending criminal charges;
• a notarized medical certificate that includes the results of an HIV test and proof of vaccination;
• a certified check or money order in the amount specified by the embassy or consulate;
• a cover letter;
• a certified copy of the applicant’s passport;
• the applicant’s diploma, certificate or other qualifications;
• the applicant’s contract of employment;
• the applicant’s resumé or curriculum vitae and
• authorization from Angola’s Ministry of Employment and Social Security.

Processing time for a work visa or work permit is at least 45 days. A work visa is valid for two years and allows multiple entries but is not valid beyond the date on the work contract. Anyone intending to work in Angola for the first time should apply for a work visa.

The foreign worker may be accompanied by spouse and minor children.

Post-Entry Requirements

To be hired by a company in Angola, a foreign employee must:

• be an adult, according to Angolan and foreign laws;
• have technical or scientific qualifications to which the employee can attest;
• possess a certificate of physical and mental fitness from the country of origin and confirmed by a designee of Angola’s Ministry of Health;
• display proof that he or she has no criminal record;
• not have Angolan nationality and
• not be the beneficiary of any scholarship or training provided by public or private agencies operating in Angola.

In addition to collaborating with Angolan colleagues “with zeal, dedication and discipline” and sharing technical, scientific and business skills with them, a foreign worker must:

• be diligent and punctual;
• protect the company’s assets against damage, destruction or loss;
• comply with health and safety rules;
• maintain mutually respectful professional relationships;
• obey management and
• protect company secrets.

A foreign worker can be transferred to a different part of the company without alteration of the contract with prior approval from the labor inspectorate.

A contract with a foreign worker must include:

• the employee’s full name and permanent address;
• the employee’s professional classification and occupational category;
• the place of work;
• weekly hours of work;
• the amount, period and method of payment of salary;
• any ancillary or supplementary wage benefits;
• the employee’s commitment to return to the country of origin after the termination of the contract;
• the date the work is to begin;
• place and date of the contract and
• signatures of the employer and the employee.

Penalties

Any disputes that arise from a foreign worker’s employment in Angola are dealt with under applicable Angolan law.

Reference Citations

Visas and Work Permits: Law No. 2/07, art. 13

Post-Entry Requirements: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 44

Plant Closings and Mass Layoffs: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 216-222 http: //www.parliament.am/library/ashxatanqayinorensgreqer/ANGOLA.pdf

Payment on Termination: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 137

Nondiscrimination

In General

Discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, sex, ethnic origin, marital status, social status, religious or political ideas, trade union membership, language, or disability is prohibited.

Gender Discrimination

Discrimination in employment on the basis of sex is prohibited.

Women are guaranteed the right to equal pay for equal work or for work of equal value and protected against discrimination in employment opportunities, training, professional development and promotion.

Women are prohibited from working in unhealthy or dangerous conditions, particularly mining and underground work, and must have a break of at least 12 hours between the end of a regular day’s work and the start of work on the following day. Night work by women other than managers in industrial facilities must be authorized by the government.

Employers are required when possible to provide part-time work for women with family responsibilities.

Pay Discrimination

Women are guaranteed the right to equal pay for equal work or for work of equal value.

Other Forms of Discrimination

Decree No. 43/03, Regulation on HIV/AIDS, Employment and Vocational Training, prohibits employers from testing or monitoring HIV/AIDS status as a condition of hiring or during employment or using HIV status as a criterion for promotion, training, or dismissal. The regulation applies to all work places, regardless of size, and to all applicants, employees, trainees, and apprentices. Applicants and employees are not obliged to disclose their HIV/AIDS status to an employer, except as otherwise required by law, and HIV-positive workers must be protected against stigmatization and discrimination from colleagues, employers and clients.

Reference Citations

Nondiscrimination: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 4

Pay Discrimination: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 157

Other Forms of Discrimination: Decree No. 43/03 (Portuguese)

Employee Privacy

Employee Data

Employers generally must obtain employees’ consent prior to collecting their personal data. Processing of sensitive personal information is only allowed if required by law and if the employer has received approval from the Agencia de Protecao de Dados (ADP).

When processing employee data, employers must ensure the data are:

• processed fairly and lawfully;
• processed for specified and lawful purposes and not beyond;
• adequate, relevant, and not excessive;
• accurate and up to date;
• not kept longer than necessary;
• processed in accordance with the rights of the subject of the personal data;
• protected with appropriate security measures; and
• not transferred to another country unless the recipient ensures adequate data protection.

Employee Monitoring and Surveillance

Employers have the right to implement surveillance measures in order to help ensure employee compliance with their work duties, but the methods chosen must protect employees’ right to privacy and dignity.

Reference Citations

Employee Monitoring and Surveillance: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 40

Compensation

Hours of Work

Normal working hours are 44 per week or eight per day. The workweek may be extended up to 54 hours for shift work or flexible hours. The workday may be extended to nine hours if the duties are intermittent or the employer concentrates the normal period of weekly work into five consecutive days, to 10 hours if the employer adopts flexible hours.

If the work is hazardous or strenuous, the maximum limits on hours of work may be reduced under a collective bargaining agreement or by the government with no reduction in pay or quality of working conditions.

The normal working time of a night worker must not exceed eight hours per day. “Night” is defined as the period between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Work time is calculated from the time the worker enters the workplace until the worker leaves.

The normal daily working time must be interrupted by a rest and meal break of between 45 and 90 minutes, so that employees do not work for more than five consecutive hours without a break.

The government may authorize a reduction in the rest and meal break to a minimum of 30 minutes if justified by the particular conditions of work in certain activities. The rest and meal break may be cancelled in exceptional situations, permanently or temporarily, subject to prior consultation with the workers’ representative organization and authorization by the government.

The frequency and length of rest and meal breaks may be established under a collective agreement.

There must be a break of at least 10 hours between the end of a regular day’s work and the start of work on the following day for male workers.

While employees who perform administrative or managerial functions are generally exempt from the working time rules, they are entitled to a weekly rest day and a daily rest and meal break of one hour and cannot on average work more than 10 hours per day.

All industrial, commercial, and service establishments must suspend work on Sundays, the weekly rest day, unless authorized to remain open by the minister of labor.

Minimum Wage

On June 26, 2024, the government approved presidential decrees to set the national minimum wage at 70,000 Angolan kwanzas (US$80.91), then increase it to 100,000 kwanzas (US$115.78) after 12 months; and set the minimum wage for micro-enterprises, start-ups, and domestic workers at 50,000 kwanzas (US$57.89).

The government fixes the minimum wage by decree after consultation with representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations. The wage may be set nationally or for employment sectors such as industry, agriculture, and transport and services and applies to all full-time workers, although the government may exempt employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement signed within the previous six months.

Payment for night work generally includes a premium of 25 percent of the rate paid for the same work performed during the day. Additional compensation is not paid, however, in the case of work that must be done exclusively or predominantly at night or for activities or services that by their nature or by law must be available to the public at night.

Overtime

Overtime may be necessary in the case of:

• accidents, natural disasters, or similar unforeseen events;
• the installation, maintenance, or repair of machinery or facilities whose inactivity would cause serious harm to the business or serious disruption to the community;
• a temporary and unforeseen abnormal volume of work;
• employees not reporting for work on time at shift change;
• moving or processing easily perishable products;
• preparatory or finishing work that must be executed outside normal working hours or
• the need to complete transactions or services in progress or to clean and prepare an establishment after closing for the next day.

The maximum limits on overtime are two hours per day, 40 hours per month, and 200 hours per year except in the case of accidents, natural disasters, or other situations of force majeure. These limits may be exceeded by authorization of the Ministry of Labor or reduced for particularly hazardous activities.

Overtime is generally compulsory, except for a worker with reasonable grounds to be excused such as educational obligations or sickness. Overtime may not be required of night workers, however, except in cases of accidents or natural disasters or when another employee does not report for work on time at shift change.

Overtime pay must include a premium of 50 percent of the regular hourly wage for the first 30 hours per month, 75 percent for additional hours. Employees who are required to work on a Sunday are entitled to double pay plus a compensatory day to be taken during the following week.

Wage Payment

Wages can be paid in cash and partially in benefits such as food, shelter and clothing and by bank check, money order, bank transfer, or deposit. Wages may be paid in foreign currency if agreed between the employer and the employee.

Employers must pay wages at fixed and equal intervals, but no less frequently than monthly. Wages can be paid either at the place of work, at an employer’s payment service if located near the workplace or at an otherwise agreed upon location.

The payment of wages must be documented by a receipt signed by the employee and itemizing the payment and any deductions made from it.

Mandatory Bonuses

All workers are entitled to an annual Christmas bonus, generally calculated as 50 percent of December wages.

Reference Citations

Hours of Work: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 95-96

Minimum Wage: Presidential Decree, No. 144/14 (Portuguese)

Overtime: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 246 - 251

Wage Payment: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 166-167

Mandatory Bonuses: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 158 (Portuguese)

Benefits

Vacation

Employees who have completed six months of work are entitled to 22 days per calendar year of paid leave plus a bonus of 50 percent of one month’s base wages. When an employee starts a new job, the right to take vacation matures on Jan. 1 of the following year. Compensation may not be paid in lieu of annual leave, even at the request of the employee, except for workers under a fixed-term contract. Working mothers receive an additional paid day of leave for each child age 14 or under.

During the first year of employment and for workers under a fixed-term contract, annual leave accrues at the rate of two days for each full month of service.

Scheduling of annual leave should be made by agreement between the employee and the employer or by the employer alone if no agreement can be reached with the employee. The final schedule for all employees’ annual leave should be prepared and posted at the workplace by Jan. 31 each year.

Unused annual leave generally may not be carried over to the next year, although a worker who wishes to travel abroad may accumulate leave for up to three years.

If an employee’s annual leave is suspended due to a work emergency, the employee must be compensated for any costs incurred and be allowed to resume leave following resolution of the emergency.

After an employment contract has been terminated for any reason, the employee is entitled to receive wages for any unused leave for that year, calculated at two days per full month of service from Jan. 1 until the date of termination.

Holidays

The following public holidays are observed in Angola:

• Jan. 1, New Year’s Day
• Feb. 4, Liberation Movement Day
• March 8, International Women’s Day
• Carnival (no fixed date)
• Good Friday (no fixed date)
• Easter (no fixed date)
• April 4, Peace Day
• May 1, Labor Day
• Sept. 17, National Heroes Day
• Nov. 2, Memorial Day
• Nov. 11, Independence Day
• Dec. 25, Christmas

When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the work holiday is moved to the following Monday. Employees who are required to work on a public holiday are entitled to double pay plus a compensatory day to be taken during the following week.

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave is a mandatory 12 weeks for women who have a minimum of six months of contributions into the social security system during the previous 12 months. Full wages are paid during maternity leave through the social security system, supplemented by the employer if necessary. Leave begins four weeks before the due date. An additional four weeks of leave may be taken without pay.

In the case of multiple births, the employee’s leave is extended by four weeks. In the case of an abortion or a stillbirth, the leave is six weeks. If the child dies during maternity leave, the employee is allowed six weeks after delivery plus one week after the death.

For one year after returning to work from maternity leave, the employee is entitled to two additional 30-minute paid breaks each day to feed the baby. These breaks may be added to the regular meal break rather than taken separately or the employee may choose to reduce her normal workday by one hour.

During the pregnancy and for 15 months after delivery, the employee may take one paid leave day per month for medical care for herself or her child.

An employer is prohibited from dismissing an employee during her pregnancy and for one year after childbirth, except in the case of a serious offense.

An employee may terminate her employment contract during pregnancy and within 15 months after delivery without penalty, after giving one week’s notice to her employer.

Paternity Leave

The labor law does not address the issue of paternity leave or other benefits, but it does allow a father to take one day of personal leave when his child is born.

Sick Leave

Employees are entitled to be absent from work due to illness for an unlimited period provided the absence can be documented by a medical certificate. In medium and large companies, the base salary of employees on medical leave are fully paid by the employer for the first two months of absence. From the third month to the 12th month of the absence, the employer must pay the employee 50 percent of his or her base salary until the employee becomes eligible for an illness allowance from social security or an insurance carrier.

Other Leave

Education leave. After giving 30 days’ written notice, an employee may take unpaid leave for 60 days for education or training.

The employer may refuse to authorize the leave if:

• the employee has been provided adequate training for the same purpose during the last 24 months,
• the employee has fewer than three years seniority in the company,
• the employee has been temporarily demoted or transferred as a disciplinary measure for more than 30 days during the past three years,
• the employee did not give adequate notice,
• the employee is performing functions on a job due to be completed during the leave period that cannot be reassigned to another employee or
• the employee cannot be replaced adequately in a company or workplace with fewer than 20 workers.

Personal leave. An employee may take the following paid personal leave days:

• eight consecutive days to get married;
• one day for fathers following the birth of a child;
• eight days for the death of a spouse, cohabiting partner, parent, or child and
• three days for the death of a grandparent, in-law, sibling, grandchild, or any of their spouses.

An employer may also authorize an employee’s leave to attend a funeral of a person not listed above, where the employee’s participation is an expected part of his or her culture.

Additional leave without pay may be taken for travel in any of these situations.

Pensions and Social Security

Both employees and employers make mandatory contributions to the social security system to cover health care; benefits for maternity leave and pregnancy, occupational accidents, and illness; old age and retirement pensions; disability benefits; death benefits; and benefits for survivors and dependents.

Workers are entitled to retire at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service with 180 months of contributions, continuous or not, into the social security system. Pensions are paid monthly.

Workers in dangerous, hazardous, or stressful occupations are entitled to early retirement at age 50 with 180 months of contributions, continuous or not, into the social security system.

Qualifying occupations include:

• working in mines or quarries or underground;
• handling hazardous chemicals or radioactive materials;
• working with high-temperature furnaces;
• working in ports, commercial airports, and cargo transportation;
• deep-sea fishing or diving;
• working on ships or aircraft;
• working in forestry;
• working with high voltage electricity or explosives;
• working with medical waste;
• welding and
• working in the cement industry around airborne dust.

The retirement age of a working mother may be reduced by one year for each child up to a maximum of five.

Workers’ Compensation

Both employees and employers make mandatory contributions to the social security system to cover occupational accidents and illness, disability benefits, death benefits and benefits for survivors and dependents.

Reference Citations

Vacation: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 129 - 140, 252 (Portuguese)

Holidays: website of the Embassy of Angola in the United States

Maternity Leave: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 246 - 251 (Portuguese)

Sick Leave: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 149 (Portuguese)

Other Leave: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 142, 145 (Portuguese)

Labor Relations

In General

The General Labor Law guarantees freedom of association, the right to organize trade unions, the right to bargain collectively, and the right to strike.

Right to Organize

Despite legal guarantees, collective bargaining is restricted and workers’ rights often not respected. Workers’ organizations, especially in the oil and diamond industries, are monitored closely by the government, which is intolerant of protests.

Works Councils

Angola’s labor and trade union laws do not address works councils.

Dispute Resolution

The Provincial Courts have jurisdiction to hear all employment disputes.

An attempt at reconciliation is mandatory before resorting to court, except in certain situations, such as a collective dismissal. A panel made up of a local public prosecutor, an employer’s representative and an employee’s representative meets with the parties to attempt reconciliation. If no agreement is reached, the case may be filed with the court.

Strikes and Lockouts

The General Labor Law guarantees freedom of association, the right to organize trade unions, the right to bargain collectively, and the right to strike. In fact, however, collective bargaining is restricted and workers’ rights often not respected. Workers’ organizations, especially in the oil and diamond industries, are monitored closely by the government, which is intolerant of protests.

Succession Clauses

In cases where a business is sold or transferred, the successor employer becomes responsible for its predecessor’s rights, privileges and duties towards the employees under the collective agreement.

Reference Citations

Right to Organize: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 37

Dispute Resolution: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 272-280

Strikes and Lockouts: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 7

Succession Clauses: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 69

Safety, Health and Security

In General

An employer has the duty to protect workers from accidents and occupational diseases, provide training and proper equipment, and take appropriate action in response to employees’ complaints, among other duties.

Workplace Safety and Health

An employer has the duty to:

• protect workers from accidents and occupational diseases;
• provide training in appropriate safety measures;
• provide workers with clothing, footwear and personal protective equipment when necessary to prevent, insofar as possible, the risks of accidents and of adverse health effects;
• take note of complaints and suggestions made by employees about the environment and working conditions and take appropriate action;
• implement appropriate disciplinary measures against those who inexcusably violate rules and instructions on safety and hygiene at work;
• comply with all other legal provisions on safety, hygiene and health;
• install proper sanitation facilities and a drinking water supply;
• ensure that dangerous substances are stored safely and that rubbish, waste and scrap do not accumulate;
• ensure that a workplace is supplied with a first aid kit if no medical facility is nearby and
• prevent the introduction or distribution of alcohol and illegal drugs in the work place.

Employees are required to properly use safety devices and to neither remove nor modify them without the employer’s permission.

Reference Citations

Workplace Safety and Health: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 81

Termination

Termination by Employer

Among others, the following circumstances constitute just cause for dismissal of an employee:

• unexcused or unjustified absence from work;
• late arrival to work of more than 15 minutes more than five times in a month;
• serious or repeated disobedience of legitimate orders;
• physical or verbal abuse of employees, the employer, or the employer’s representatives;
• theft, robbery, embezzlement, or fraud;
• breach of confidentiality;
• damage caused intentionally or through gross negligence to the premises, equipment or tools;
• bribery or corruption;
• habitual drunkenness or drug addiction that has a negative impact on the job;
• failure to comply with rules and instructions for safety; and
• repeated failure to comply with hygiene rules.

An employer may apply the following disciplinary measures, in ascending order of severity:

• informal warning,
• formal warning,
• temporary demotion of between 15 days and three months and/or reduction in pay of up to 20 percent,
• temporary transfer of up to six months with a reduction in pay and
• immediate dismissal.

Before imposing any disciplinary measure beyond an informal or formal warning, an interview must be held. The worker must be notified of the meeting in writing with a detailed description of the alleged offense, and a union representative or other person may accompany the employee to the interview.

The following circumstances constitute just cause for dismissal of an employee:

• unexcused or unjustified absence from work for more than three days in a month, provided that such absence causes damage or serious risk to the company;
• late arrival to work of more than 15 minutes more than five times in a month;
• serious or repeated disobedience of the legitimate orders and instructions of superiors and managers;
• physical or verbal abuse of employees, the employer, or the employer’s representatives;
• theft, robbery, embezzlement or fraud committed against the company or against another party during working hours;
• breach of confidentiality concerning trade secrets resulting in serious damage to the company;
• damage caused intentionally or through gross negligence to the premises, equipment or tools;
• bribery or corruption related to the work, goods or interests of the company;
• habitual drunkenness or drug addiction that has a negative impact on the job;
• failure to comply with rules and instructions for safety and
• repeated failure to comply with hygiene rules, causing justified complaints from fellow workers.

Termination by Employee

An employee is entitled to resign whether or not there is cause.

Plant Closings and Mass Layoffs

A collective dismissal is defined by the General Labor Law as a termination or change of employment affecting five or more employees within a period of three months.

For a collective dismissal, an employer must first give notice to the provincial office of the Ministry of Labor and to the workers’ representative body or union.

The notice must contain:

• a description of the economic, technological or structural reasons for the planned dismissal;
• the number of workers affected and a description of their duties and work sectors;
• the criteria for the selection of the affected workers and
• the plan for the reorganization or reduction in business operations after the dismissal.

The employer must also post a written notice to all employees, informing them that they can elect a committee of three to five workers as their representative in the collective-dismissal process. The employer must meet with the committee or a workers’ representative at least three times to exchange information and explore ways to prevent or reduce the number of dismissals.

If an agreement is not reached, a written record summarizing the reasons for the lack of agreement must be prepared and sent to the provincial office of the Ministry of Labor. Within 10 days of receipt of the written record, the provincial labor office must meet with the employer and the employee representatives and decide whether to approve or disapprove the collective dismissal. The employer may appeal an adverse decision to the Ministry of Labor.

If the collective dismissal is approved by the provincial labor office, the employer must send a written notice to each affected worker with the date of termination of the employment contract.

The period of notice runs from the date of delivery to the employee and cannot be fewer than 60 days for managers and 30 days for other workers. The employer must provide the local employment office and the provincial office of the Ministry of Labor with a list of the affected workers, including each name, address, date of birth, start date with the company, termination date, occupation and last base salary or wages.

Payment on Termination

After an employment contract has been terminated for any reason, the employee is entitled to receive wages for any unused leave for that year, calculated at two days per full month of service from Jan. 1 until the date of termination. Any amounts owed to employees must be paid within three days following the termination of their employment.

Unemployment Insurance

No provisions are included in Angola’s labor code covering unemployment insurance.

Reference Citations

Termination by Employer: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 46-58

Termination by Employee: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, art. 225

Plant Closings and Mass Layoffs: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 216-222

Payment on Termination: General Labor Law, No. 7/15, arts. 137, 176

Personal Taxes

Decree No. 6/01 requires foreign workers to pay taxes to Angola, including the tax on labor income.

Residency Requirements

All individuals, regardless of their residence or period of stay in Angola, are taxed only on their Angola-sourced wages. Residence is not defined in Angolan tax law in regards to the taxation of work-related income.

Taxable Income

All work-related remuneration, wages, salaries, fees, bonuses and benefits are considered income and are taxable.

Tax Rates

Employment income is taxed at progressive rates from 7 percent to 17 percent based on annual income.

Reference Citations

Residency Requirements: Law No. 21/14 - National Assembly (Portuguese)

Taxable Income: Law No. 21/14 - National Assembly (Portuguese)

Tax Rates: Law No. 21/14 - National Assembly (Portuguese)

Web References

In English unless otherwise noted.

Law and Regulation

General Labor Law, No. 7/15

Regulations on HIV/AIDS, Employment, and Professional Training

Government Websites and Publications

Government of Angola, Citizens’ Portal (Portuguese)

Government of the Republic of Angola Portal (Portuguese