Labor law in Cambodia

Cambodia's Labour Law applies to enterprises and establishments from one worker upward, subject to statutory exclusions. Permanent civil servants, judges, police, the armed forces and some air and maritime workers follow special rules. Domestic workers are largely outside the substantive Labour Law, although freedom of association remains protected. Access to formal protection is also more fragmented in informal work. The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, abbreviated MLVT, issues Prakas, which are ministerial orders, and supervises labour administration. Provincial and municipal Labour Inspectors handle inspections, declarations and preliminary conciliation. A Royal Kram is a promulgated law, while an Anukret is a Sub-Decree. The National Council on Minimum Wage sets sectoral minimum wages, and the National Social Security Fund, known as NSSF, administers applicable social protection schemes. A fixed-duration contract, or FDC, states a precise end date and normally cannot exceed two years including renewals. Continued work after the permitted period or an invalid fixed-term arrangement can lead to treatment as an undetermined-duration contract, or UDC. A fixed-term contract can be used without a fixed end date for replacement, seasonal or occasional work. Probation may last up to three months for regular work, two months for specialized work and one month for non-specialized work. Hiring and dismissal declarations generally reach the MLVT within 15 days, or within 30 days for agriculture; casual work lasting less than 30 days and intermittent work of up to three months within a year are excluded from that declaration rule. Normal working time reaches a maximum of eight hours per day and 48 hours per week over no more than six working days. Weekly rest lasts at least 24 consecutive hours and generally falls on Sunday. Night work covers 11 consecutive hours including the period from 22:00 to 05:00. Overtime is exceptional or urgent and generally attracts a 50 percent premium; work at night or during weekly rest attracts a 100 percent premium. Wages include basic pay, overtime, commissions, bonuses, indemnities, profit shares, gratuities and the value of benefits in kind. Equal work, skill and output receive equal pay regardless of origin, sex, age, religion, political opinion, social origin or union membership. In 2026, the sectoral minimum wage is USD 210 for regular workers and USD 208 during probation in textile, garment, footwear, travel-goods and bag industries. Piece-rate pay cannot reduce the worker below the applicable minimum-wage floor. Workers paid as laborers receive wages at least twice each month, while employees receive pay at least once each month. Wage claims generally expire after three years. Paid annual leave starts at 1.5 working days for each month of continuous service and increases by one day for every three years. The right is normally used after one year of service, and public holidays do not reduce the annual-leave balance. Maternity leave lasts 90 days. During maternity leave, at least one year of uninterrupted service is required for the statutory 50 percent wage payment. Dismissal during maternity is prohibited. A breastfeeding worker receives one hour per day for one year, and an employer with at least 100 women or girls has a duty concerning a nursing room or crèche. The law prohibits discrimination based on race, colour, sex, creed or religion, political opinion, birth, social origin, union membership or union activity. Sexual harassment is prohibited. Employment at the minimum-wage level generally begins at age 15; hazardous or morality-risk work requires at least age 18. Light work by children aged 12 to 15 is allowed only under the applicable conditions, and workers under 18 may not perform night work. Employers have workplace safety and health duties, including first aid. A permanent infirmary is required at workplaces with at least 50 workers. NSSF occupational-risk, health-care and pension schemes apply according to the relevant registration and contribution rules, and occupational injuries can include direct commuting injuries. Workers may form or join unions, and employers may form associations. Registration with the MLVT is needed for statutory union rights. An enterprise or establishment with at least eight workers elects a shop steward. A candidate must generally be at least 18, have three months of seniority and be able to read Khmer. Unions can bargain collectively, and the most representative union negotiates a collective bargaining agreement. Union discrimination and interference are prohibited. Dismissal or reassignment of a protected shop steward requires Labour Inspector authorization, with a decision due within one month. A lawful strike is peaceful, suspends the employment contract and wages during the strike, and requires reinstatement afterward without retaliation. An individual labour dispute normally goes first to preliminary conciliation before a provincial or municipal Labour Inspector. The hearing should occur within three weeks. A signed settlement is enforceable. After failed conciliation, the worker may use the courts or the Arbitration Council under the current procedure, with court filing after non-conciliation generally limited to two months. Collective disputes go to the Labour Inspector, with conciliation lasting up to 15 days from designation; conflict measures are not allowed during that period. If conciliation fails, the parties may use the procedure in their collective agreement or refer the dispute to the Arbitration Council. The Council is a national quasi-judicial body and publishes awards in Khmer and English. A Labour Court is legally foreseen, but its practical forum status should be checked for the specific case. Termination of a UDC requires written notice and a valid worker-related or operational reason. Notice is seven days for service under six months, 15 days for six months to two years, one month for more than two to five years, two months for more than five to ten years and three months for more than ten years. Pay in lieu of notice can apply, and the worker receives two paid job-search days per week during the notice period. Current seniority payment generally equals 15 days of wages and benefits per year, with seven days for remaining seniority of one to six months; serious misconduct removes the seniority payment. Invalid termination or coercive pressure to resign can create a damages claim. Early ending of an FDC normally requires written mutual agreement before a Labour Inspector. Serious misconduct or force majeure can provide separate grounds. At the end of an FDC, severance follows the collective agreement or, as a fallback, is at least five percent of wages paid over the contract. Notice for an FDC longer than six months is ten days, or 15 days when it exceeds one year. Mass layoffs require written consultation with worker representatives and notice to the Labour Inspector. The Minister may suspend a mass-layoff process for up to 30 days and renew that suspension once. Complaints and conciliation before the Labour Inspector generally carry no fee. Useful evidence includes the contract, payroll records, attendance records, notices, NSSF documents, union records and collective agreements. Union dues require written worker consent. The employer bears statutory workplace health-service costs and applicable NSSF health-care contributions. Foreign workers need a work permit and employment card; Cambodian recruitment has priority, and quotas can apply through a Prakas. The applicable process depends on the work sector, contract, worker status, location of the authority and the type of dispute.