Employment contracts in Cameroon

Fixed-term and permanent contracts

Contracts for a specific piece of work, and contracts ending on a precisely stated future event that is certain to happen, count as fixed-term but cannot be renewed. The length and renewal rules do not apply to staff hired solely for temporary work (replacing an absent employee, finishing a job by a deadline), casual work (an unforeseen peak, urgent repairs) or seasonal work: their terms are set by a decree (Decree No. 93/577/PM of 15 July 1993, whose text is not published online).

Other contracts

• Agency work: only an agency licensed by the Labour Minister may supply staff, and only for temporary, casual or seasonal work. A written contract between agency and worker, and a written supply contract with the client company, lasting no more than a year with the same client (section 26).
• Apprenticeship: a business owner or craftsman undertakes to provide methodical, complete vocational training; the contract must be in writing or it is entirely void (sections 45 and 46).
• Labour subcontracting (tâcheronnat): a subcontractor hires their own workforce; if the subcontractor cannot pay, the main contractor is liable for wages, unless the subcontractor is on the trade register and holds a business licence (sections 48 and 49).

Probation

Probation is optional, but it must be agreed in writing. The Code caps it at six months including renewal, eight months for managers (section 28); Order No. 017/MTPS/SG/CJ of 26 May 1993 sets the maximum length according to the employee's category on hiring.

• Renewable once only, in writing, before the initial probation ends; otherwise probation counts as passed and the hiring is final.
• Paid at the rate for the category hired into; probation counts towards seniority.
• Recruitment, travel, training and induction time do not count towards probation.
• During probation, either side may end the contract without notice or compensation, unless agreed otherwise (section 43). If work continues after probation without a new contract, the hiring is final from day one.

Writing, required details and formalities

The contract can take whatever form the parties choose and can be proved by any means. It must be in writing when it is a fixed-term contract of more than three months or requires the employee to move away from home; a copy then goes to the labour inspector (section 27). Written contracts are exempt from stamp and registration duties. The Code has no list of compulsory details; collective agreements do. The forestry industry agreement (2002), for instance, requires: the employee's name, sex, date and place of birth and nationality; family situation; start date; any qualifications; job, category and step; basic category pay, bonuses and benefits; place of hiring.

Foreign workers: the contract visa

A foreign employee's contract must be approved (visa) by the minister before any work begins. The employer applies; if refused, the contract is void. With no answer within two months, approval is deemed granted (section 27). The Code does not name the ministry: in practice the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MINEFOP), through its labour regulation directorate, processes applications and collects the fees (Cameroon Tribune, EcoMatin). Since the 2023 finance law, the fee, paid by the employer, equals two months' gross salary for a non-African worker and one month for an African worker. The procedure is set by Decree No. 93/575/PM of 15 July 1993, and Decree No. 93/571 of 15 July 1993 restricts the hiring of foreigners in certain occupations. In a circular letter of 3 February 2023, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training stressed, according to Droit Médias Finance, that only a long-stay visa allows a person to work in Cameroon, and that renewing a working foreigner's temporary visa requires an approved employment contract. The work-permit page covers this in detail.

Job categories and pay

The Code leaves job categories and their pay to collective agreements (section 62); only the guaranteed minimum wage (SMIG) is set by decree. In practice, agreements place employees in twelve categories, each divided into steps. The probation periods in the 1993 order are based on this scale.

Pay scales change with each revision: the retail and trade agreement, revised in January 2024, raised pay by 30% for categories 1 to 3, 11% for categories 4 and 5, 7.5% for categories 6 to 8 and 4% for categories 9 to 12, and lifted the transport allowance from 1,000 to 1,300 CFA francs a day, according to Droit Médias Finance.

During the contract: pay, discipline, non-compete

• An individual payslip is compulsory with every payment. Accepting it without protest is not a waiver, and a “full and final settlement” clause cannot be held against the employee (section 69).
• Pay at least monthly, no later than eight days after month-end; an advance of up to half the basic salary can be requested after 15 days (section 68).
• Deductions from pay are limited: court attachment, agreed union dues, voluntary assignment checked by the inspector or a judge, mutual societies (section 75).
• Housing: the employer houses an employee it has relocated; otherwise it pays a housing allowance of 25% of basic salary plus seniority bonus (Order No. 018/MTPS/SG/CJ of 26 May 1993).
• Non-compete clause: valid only if the employee leaves of their own accord after the employer paid for their relocation, or is dismissed for gross misconduct; limited to 50 km around the workplace and one year (section 31).

Part-time, day labourers and interns

The Code mentions part-time work only as a way to avoid redundancies (section 40); no general part-time regime was found in the texts consulted. Nor does it define the “day labourer”: staff hired for casual or seasonal work fall under section 25 and the 1993 decree mentioned above. Finally, no Cameroonian text specifically governing interns was found online. The texts consulted say only two things: statutory internship periods count towards seniority for severance pay (Order No. 016 of 1993), and technical-school students are covered for accidents during their training (Law No. 77/11 of 13 July 1977).

Frequently asked questions