Employment in Antigua and Barbuda

Formal employment exists in both the public and private sectors. Relevant fields include tourism and services, government, construction, transport, domestic work and agriculture. The One Stop Employment Centre, abbreviated OSEC, operates a jobseeker database and publishes vacancies, but a worker can also apply directly to an employer; government vacancies use a separate recruitment channel. A CV, identity document or passport, qualification records and references are commonly useful, and current registration requirements and service hours should be checked with OSEC or the Labour Department. A non-citizen generally needs a work permit before starting employment. An entry visa, residence permission or stay extension does not by itself authorize work. The Labour Department certificate and the Immigration Department's passport endorsement form part of the authorization process, and the proposed employer and occupation are normally involved in the application. A work permit does not create residence or a right of abode, and a Resident Permit does not automatically give employment rights. Defined classes of CARICOM and Dominican Republic nationals may qualify for the work-permit fee exemption introduced on 10 March 2025, but the application fee remains and eligibility depends on the person's status and country of origin. The current official schedule lists XCD 50 for processing and XCD 75 for a CARICOM work-permit endorsement covering up to one year. The employer should provide written working conditions covering the employer, role, duties, workplace, start date, hours, pay, payment interval, probation, duration, leave, deductions and notice. A fixed-term contract should also state its tasks, period and terms; renewal requires mutual agreement. A standard work-day may not exceed 8 hours and a standard work-week may not exceed 48 hours, while the roster, breaks, overtime, leave and safety arrangements depend on the contract and current rules. The worker is expected to perform the agreed work, attend as required, follow lawful instructions and cooperate with safety arrangements. The National Minimum Wage Order 2026 sets the minimum wage at XCD 11.50 per hour from 1 April 2026; the previous rate was XCD 9.00. A negotiated wage may be higher. Check whether an amount is gross or net and keep payslips or other payment evidence, especially where an employer pays only cash or makes unclear deductions. For private-sector workers, Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board contributions total 14% of insurable earnings: 6% from the worker and 8% from the employer. For public-sector workers, the total is 13%, with 5% from the worker and 8% from the employer. Contributions begin with the initial wage, including probation, and can include overtime, vacation pay, bonuses, commissions and service charges. The contribution ceiling is XCD 78,000 per year, XCD 6,500 per month, XCD 3,000 per fortnight or XCD 1,500 per week. The employer should remit contributions by the 14th of the following month. Social Security registration should take place before employment. Citizens generally use a passport or birth certificate and photo identification; foreign-born, naturalized and foreign workers may also need a passport, an Antiguan passport where applicable or an employer-specific work permit. A worker should present the Social Security card to every new employer and keep a personal contribution history; the current history-letter fee is XCD 30. Social Security benefits include sickness, maternity, invalidity, age, survivor and funeral benefits. The Medical Benefits Scheme generally collects 3.5% from the worker and 3.5% from the employer and can support medical costs and pharmaceutical benefits subject to eligibility. The current scheme information states that non-nationals need 12 months of lawful residence for registration, so the card and status should be checked separately. Personal income tax was abolished under the current government budget position, but payroll records, statutory deductions, employer declarations and any status-dependent TIN or Inland Revenue questions still require checking. A change of employer or role requires new written terms. A non-citizen should confirm the compatibility of the new job with Immigration endorsement and work-permit conditions before changing work, because permit transfer is not automatic in the reviewed material. Update Social Security and Medical Benefits records and retain contracts, payslips, rosters, leave records and deduction evidence. Employment can end through resignation, fixed-term expiry, employer termination, redundancy or retirement. During probation, the employer's notice period is at least 24 hours; outside probation, it is generally at least the pay interval and no more than 30 days unless the contract provides a longer term. The worker's notice period should be checked against the contract and current rules. Where redundancy follows more than one aggregate year with the employer or predecessor, the reviewed rule provides at least one day's latest basic wage for each month or major fraction. Request the applicable termination reason statement or certificate, final pay and updated Social Security and Medical Benefits records. A worker may first use the employer's internal process, then contact the Labour Department or Labour Commissioner, and where appropriate proceed to the Industrial Court or another competent forum; a union or bargaining agent may also assist. The detailed merits of dismissal, severance, discrimination and safety disputes belong to labour-law procedures rather than the general employment overview. Informal cash work without a contract remains a practical risk in domestic work, agriculture and construction, as does misclassification as self-employment or missing Social Security and Medical Benefits payments. The reviewed public data provides detailed labour-force surveys for 2015 and 2018, while current granular results from the announced 2022 fieldwork were not evidenced, so current job-volume or unemployment claims should be treated cautiously.