Labor law in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea has a fragmented labor-law framework rather than one consolidated code. The main laws include the Employment Act 1978, Industrial Relations Act 1962, Industrial Organizations Act, Industrial Safety, Health and Welfare Act, and Workers' Compensation Act 1978. The Department of Labour and Industrial Relations (DLIR) provides labor administration, advice, inspections and enforcement through labour officers and Provincial Labour Officers. Its statutory offices include the Industrial Registrar, the Industrial National Arbitration and Reconciliation (INAR) system, the Office of Workers Compensation and other specialist bodies. Public Service and Teaching Service employees may also be subject to special regimes. An employment contract may be oral or written, but the employer must communicate the employer's name, workplace and employment terms. A less favorable contractual term cannot override the Employment Act. An attested contract is reviewed by a labour officer, and transferring a contract requires the worker's free consent; an attested transfer also requires approval. Employment agents must be licensed, and charging workers recruitment fees is prohibited. Working-time rules generally limit work to 12 hours in a day. Overtime commonly covers work above eight hours per day, work after midday on Saturday, and work on Sunday or a public holiday. Shift work also covers arrangements exceeding eight hours per day or 44 hours in seven days. A worker on a day of at least eight hours should receive at least a 50-minute meal or rest period and should not work more than five hours without a further 30- or 40-minute break under the applicable arrangement. Weekly rest is generally at least 24 hours; shift systems have additional rest requirements. Emergency, essential-service and defense exceptions can change these limits, and employers must address fatigue where dangerous machinery is involved. Registered awards and minimum-wage decisions set pay requirements for covered work. The national minimum wage is K5.00 per hour from 1 January 2026, replacing the previous K3.50 rate, although a registered award may impose sector-specific rules. Wages are generally due at least every two weeks, or monthly where agreed; casual workers are normally paid daily and piece-rate workers are paid at least every two weeks or when the work ends. Overtime is generally paid at 1.5 times the ordinary rate, and Sunday work at twice the ordinary rate, with additional public-holiday rules. Stand-by pay, call-out minimums and deductions have separate limits. Regular deductions require written consent, deductions are generally capped at 50 percent of wages, and an advance is generally limited to 25 percent. Recruitment fees and retention charges cannot be imposed on workers. Paid recreation leave is generally 14 consecutive days for each 12 months of service. After six months, sick leave is generally six paid days per year, subject to medical evidence and notification within 72 hours; accumulation is limited to 18 days excluding the current year. Maternity leave includes hospitalization and six weeks after childbirth, with up to four additional weeks for illness. It is generally unpaid, although available recreation or sick leave credits may be used. Nursing breaks are at least 30 minutes twice a day and count as paid working time. Public holidays, including Good Friday and Christmas Day, have additional payment and working-time rules. The Employment Act prohibits sex discrimination and unequal pay for work at the same level. It still contains older restrictions on women's heavy labor, underground mining and night work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., subject to exceptions. The current Act does not provide a complete modern framework for harassment, violence or equal pay for work of equal value. Children under 16 generally cannot work, with limited exceptions for ages 12 to 15 involving a medical certificate, parental or guardian consent and continued schooling. Occupational safety and health rules cover factory registration, working conditions, inspections, machinery, pressure vessels and dangerous substances. An Industrial Safety Officer may inspect premises, secure evidence and require protective measures; dangerous operations can be stopped. The Workers' Compensation Act covers work injuries and deaths arising out of or during employment, with claims involving the Office of Workers Compensation, medical reports and prescribed forms. Workers and dependants can claim within that statutory system, while exact filing times and costs depend on the matter and available procedure. Workers may form or join industrial organizations, but registration with the Industrial Registrar is central to the legal effect of unions, industrial agreements and awards. Industrial disputes can be reported to the DLIR, followed by negotiation, conciliation or a compulsory conference. Unresolved matters may proceed to the Industrial National Arbitration and Reconciliation process or another authorized tribunal, while individual wage and compliance matters may also reach a labour officer or court. Notice periods depend on length of service when the contract contains no different lawful term: one day for less than four weeks, one week for four weeks to less than one year, two weeks for one to less than five years, and four weeks after five years. Payment instead of notice may be used. Casual workers generally receive no notice, but termination without misconduct can require payment for the full day. Summary dismissal can follow specified misconduct such as willful disobedience, fraud, habitual neglect, prolonged absence or certain convictions. A worker may end employment immediately for employer force, fraud, a serious breach, negligence or ill-treatment. A comprehensive current unfair-dismissal procedure has not been established in the available framework. Employment-law, occupational-safety and workers' compensation reforms were under tripartite review in 2026, but proposed bills and reform priorities do not replace enacted law.