An employer must register the business and its workers with the relevant bodies before and during operations. The Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board requires employer information such as the business name, legal classification, owners or directors, registered office, business activity, sector and number of insurable employees. Every employer also needs registration with the Medical Benefits Scheme. Tax and business compliance with the Inland Revenue Department depends on the entity and the applicable tax type. Recruitment can use the One Stop Employment Centre, which provides public job matching for public and private employers. For work-permit recruitment, the 2026 Cabinet requirement calls for a vacancy to be placed with the One Stop Employment Centre and evidence of local recruitment efforts; additional recognised-media evidence has also been announced, so the current implementation should be checked. Non-citizens generally need a work permit, a Labour Department certificate and passport endorsement by Immigration. A work permit is conditional permission to work and does not itself grant residence status; CARICOM, OECS and other code-based exceptions depend on the individual case. The Labour Code Cap. 27 covers basic employment conditions, wages, working hours, leave, termination, minimum wage, severance, health and safety, welfare, work permits, trade unions, bargaining agents and industrial relations. Employers should keep required records, including each worker’s latest hiring date, and check current amendment Acts and wage orders. Internal policies for conduct, discipline, grievances, safety, training, performance and recordkeeping help managers apply these duties consistently, but no mandatory national licence or certification for an HR manager is established in the available research. For private-sector employees, Social Security contributions are 14% of insurable earnings: 6% from the employee and 8% from the employer. For public-sector employees, the rate is 13%, consisting of 5% from the employee and 8% from the employer. The maximum insurable earnings are 78,000 dollars per year, 6,500 dollars per month, 3,000 dollars per fortnight or 1,500 dollars per week. Employers submit the R5A return and payment within 14 days after the end of the previous month; late payment attracts a 10% surcharge, and an incorrect or incomplete R5A attracts a penalty of 100 dollars per page. The regular employer contribution to the Medical Benefits Scheme is 3.5% of wages for an employed worker over 16 and under 60. The employer rate is 0% from age 60, while wages below 400 dollars per month or 100 dollars per week can trigger a 7% employer rate under the applicable table. The current Medical Benefits Scheme table should be checked for the worker’s age and pay situation. Employers must address workplace health, safety and welfare under the Labour Code. The Labour Department has inspection and enforcement functions, while the Central Board of Health carries out occupational health and safety functions. Requirements can also depend on the sector and workplace. Workers may organise through trade unions and collective bargaining, and bargaining-agent registration is formally recognised; documented local unions include the Antigua Trades and Labour Union, the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union and the Antigua and Barbuda Tradesmen and United Workers Federation. A workplace dispute can begin with an internal grievance or disciplinary process and proceed to the Labour Department, a conciliator or the Labour Commissioner. Trade disputes, industrial action and unfair-dismissal complaints can reach the Industrial Court, which may order compensation, damages, reinstatement or another remedy. Redundancy, termination or a sale of an undertaking can involve notice, final pay, severance, records and successor-employer rules; under the 2019 amendment, a transfer may in some cases preserve tenure and benefits or provide a severance option. No general change-notification duty beyond specific applicable rules is established in the available research. The Labour Code and the main employer institutions apply nationally to Antigua and Barbuda. A separate material employer regime for Barbuda is not established, although the 2024 Budget referred to a Labour Department office there to improve access and digital services. Service availability in Barbuda should be checked before relying on a particular office or process. Employer-related fees and timing vary for registrations, work permits, inspections, court proceedings and legal representation.
Employer in Antigua and Barbuda
An employer in Antigua and Barbuda is an individual or organisation that hires and manages workers, such as a sole owner, partnership, company or offshore company. Employers organise recruitment, pay, supervision, workplace safety, records and employment termination under the Labour Code Cap. 27. Key responsibilities are shared across the Labour Department, the Social Security Board, the Medical Benefits Scheme and other specialised bodies.
VivAVia can make mistakes. Check important information.