Labor law in Chad

An employment relationship exists when a worker performs work under another party's direction in return for pay. Forced labor is prohibited, and equal treatment applies regardless of sex, age, nationality, origin, opinion or trade-union membership. The Labor Code has mandatory force, although an employment contract or collective agreement may provide more favorable guarantees. The framework recognizes open-ended contracts (CDI) and fixed-term contracts (CDD). Contracts are generally valid without a special form, but a CDD must be written and state its exact duration. A CDD may last up to two years and may be renewed once. Contracts lasting more than six months require an ONAPE visa, and visa requirements also apply to CDI contracts, foreign-worker contracts and contracts involving a change of residence. ONAPE handles employment placement and formal contract visas. If ONAPE does not respond within 30 working days, the visa is treated as granted. Missing form or visa requirements can lead to reclassification or immediate termination in favor of the worker. Continuing work after a CDD expires can also create an open-ended contract. A probation period is valid only when expressly agreed and may last up to six months for managers, three months for employees, technicians and supervisors, or one month for other workers. Children under 14 may not generally be employed, subject to decree-based exceptions and legal-representative consent. Non-agricultural work is generally limited to 39 hours per week, while agricultural work is subject to an annual limit of 2,400 hours. Overtime may be ordered up to 94 hours per year without a special exemption, with effective limits of 11 hours per day and 54 hours per week. Overtime supplements depend on decree or collective agreement. Night work generally covers 22:00 to 05:00. Workers receive at least 12 hours of daily rest and 24 hours of weekly rest, generally on Sunday. Annual leave accrues at two working days for each month of effective work, with the entitlement arising after one year and normally being used within the following 12 months. Family-event leave can reach ten days and does not reduce annual leave. The statutory minimum wage for non-agricultural work is recorded as 355 FCFA per hour, or 59,995 FCFA per month on a 169-hour basis. The agricultural minimum is 302.8 FCFA per hour, or 60,560 FCFA per month on a 200-hour basis. These figures are based on Décret 11-055/2011, and the latest documented revision is from 2011. Employers generally pay monthly wages no later than eight days after the end of the month and provide a payslip. Wage deductions are limited to legally permitted deductions, advances, seizures, assignments or authorized loans. A wage claim can generally be brought within five years. The CNPS, the Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale, administers branches covering family benefits, maternity, occupational accidents and diseases, old age, disability, survivors and social action. Employers register and workers are recorded with the system. The research basis records an employer contribution of 4% of insurable pay for occupational accidents and diseases, with a possible 1.5% surcharge, and pension contributions of 8.5%, divided into 5% for the employer and 3.5% for the worker under CNPS guidance. Contribution rates and benefit details should be checked against current CNPS notices. Maternity leave consists of six weeks before birth and eight weeks after birth, with up to three additional weeks for a pathological condition. A nursing mother may receive paid breaks of up to one hour per working day until the child is 15 months old. Dismissal during pregnancy or the protected period is restricted to serious misconduct unrelated to pregnancy or to an impossibility of continuing the employment relationship. A breach can result in compensation equivalent to 12 months of wages. A mother may leave without notice until 15 months after the birth. Non-occupational illness or another accident can suspend the contract for at least six months. An occupational accident or disease suspends the contract until recovery or permanent incapacity without redeployment. Dismissal during this period is generally prohibited and requires authorization from the labor inspector. Employers provide occupational safety and health measures, a health service, an entry medical examination no later than the end of probation, periodic examinations, protective equipment and safety training. Establishments with at least 50 employees create a Comité d'hygiène et de sécurité, which meets at least twice a year; its members receive ten paid hours per year for their duties. Employers report joint accident and occupational-disease information to the CNPS and the labor inspectorate. For a dangerous situation, the inspector can issue a formal notice allowing at least four clear days for compliance; an imminent danger permits immediate measures, with a tribunal challenge within three days. Disciplinary sanctions require professional misconduct. Financial penalties are not permitted. Except for an oral reprimand, the employer gives the worker an opportunity to respond, states the reason, place and time of the alleged conduct, and respects the applicable notice period of 24 hours or five working days for registered mail. The employer carries the burden of proof. The 1996 Code does not contain an express current provision on harassment, HIV or disability discrimination; protections proposed in the 2026 reform project should not be treated as enacted law. An employer ending a CDI generally needs an objective and serious reason, a prior meeting and written notification. Notice is 15 days for shorter service, one month after one year of service and two months after at least three years. Serious misconduct can remove notice after judicial review. A worker receives one paid job-search day per week during notice. A dismissal indemnity becomes due after at least two years of service and is calculated from the average gross wage of the previous 12 months at 25% per year for the first five years, 30% for the following five years and 35% from the eleventh year. The employer provides a work certificate immediately. A mutual termination is recorded in writing before the labor inspectorate. Economic dismissals involve written information to worker representatives about the affected jobs, workers and selection criteria, followed by an eight-day response period and labor-inspector involvement. Avoidance measures can be negotiated for up to 30 days. Selection generally moves from the lowest professional competence to the lowest seniority, greatest family responsibilities and youngest age. A dismissed worker has re-employment priority for one year and applies within one month. Protected representatives and certain former representatives or candidates require prior inspector authorization. Workers may form or join trade unions, and employers may not discriminate or pressure them because of union activity. Elected worker delegates serve two-year renewable terms and handle individual and collective complaints, workplace safety and organization. Local representation applies from 60 employees. Dismissal of protected delegates, former delegates within 12 months or unsuccessful candidates within six months requires prior authorization; a breach can result in compensation equivalent to 18 months of wages. Collective agreements may improve statutory guarantees, and wage or classification clauses are reviewed within two years while other clauses are reviewed within five years. An individual labor dispute normally begins with a complaint to the Inspection du Travail or a labor controller. Conciliation is compulsory, and the signed conciliation record is enforceable. If conciliation fails, the dispute proceeds to the Tribunal du Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale, usually where the work is performed. Court and appeal proceedings are free, and worker assistance is available for enforcement. Judgments up to 147,000 FCFA are generally final except on jurisdiction; larger judgments may be appealed within 15 days. Collective disputes are also reported to the labor inspectorate and require conciliation. A lawful strike requires six clear days' written notice to the employer and the labor authorities, with the demands stated. Strike days are unpaid except in a wage-payment dispute, and workers may not be sanctioned merely for lawful participation. The inspectorate can enter workplaces without prior notice, inspect records and take samples; its official reports have evidentiary force and are sent to the prosecutor within ten days.