Employment in Saint Kitts and Nevis

Jobseekers can use the Department of Labour vacancy wall, register as jobseekers, submit a CV, attend interviews and seek employer matching. Public-service vacancies are published through gov.kn/jobs. Private recruitment agencies, employers and local media also provide vacancies; the available sources do not establish one official national digital job portal. A contract of service may be oral or written. On request, the employer must provide the terms and conditions within 14 days. Probation may last up to four weeks in household employment and up to three months in other employment. A temporary worker is employed up to the end of the probation period. Crown employment and statutory corporations can follow special rules. Saint Kitts and Nevis nationals normally have ordinary access to local employment. Skilled CARICOM nationals in one of the ten recognized categories can apply for a Skills Certificate, followed by verification; the process generally takes at least six weeks. A person entering the Federation for a definite stay of up to six months needs certificate verification and then immigration processing for an indefinite stay where applicable. Other foreign workers and non-skilled CARICOM nationals generally require a work permit for a specialized position. The applicant is generally expected to be outside the Federation, and the employer usually needs to show a local vacancy advertisement for three consecutive weeks, consultation with the Labour Department and attempts to recruit locally. A work permit is not transferable, and renewal should be requested at least two weeks before expiry. The available research does not confirm the permit fees. The latest confirmed minimum wage is EC$500 per week from 1 July 2025, replacing EC$10.75 per hour from 2024. At 40 hours, EC$500 per week is approximately EC$12.50 per hour. The 2025 Housing and Social Development Levy is 0 up to EC$520 per week or EC$27,040 per year. The St. Christopher & Nevis Social Security Board (SSB) covers workers aged 16 to 62 through a 5% employee contribution and a 5% employer contribution, plus a 1% employer contribution for employment injury. The employer deducts and remits the employee contribution. Exact income-tax rules are outside this employment overview. Paid holidays generally provide at least 14 days. Eligibility within a 12-month period depends on the work pattern: 126 days for agricultural workers, 154 days for hourly, daily or piece-rate workers, and 238 days for weekly, fortnightly, monthly or yearly workers. The employer should give at least seven days' notice of the holiday start, and written accumulation can reach 28 days. Maternity leave lasts 13 weeks for a worker who has completed at least 150 working days in one year. SSB benefits include sickness, maternity, employment injury, age, invalidity, survivors' and funeral benefits. Sickness benefit can last up to 26 weeks and is paid at 65% of average earnings. Current primary-source research does not establish one general working-time or overtime rule for all employment, so the contract and the applicable authority should be checked for those points. Notice periods depend on the length of employment and the pay cycle. For an employee paid weekly or at another non-monthly interval, the employer's notice is one week after three months but less than one year, two weeks after one year but less than three years, three weeks after three years but less than five years, four weeks after five years but less than seven years, five weeks after seven years but less than ten years, six weeks after ten years but less than fifteen years, and ten weeks after at least fifteen years. For a worker paid monthly, the periods are one month after three months but less than five years, two months after five years but less than ten years, and three months after at least ten years. An employee's notice generally matches the employer's applicable period, while an unwritten contract limits the employee's notice to four weeks. Notice pay may apply. The employer should give a termination certificate to the worker and the Department of Labour within five days and settle outstanding holiday pay and notice pay. Severance is financed through a 1% employer contribution on normal wages collected monthly by the SSB. A worker commonly qualifies after at least one year of continuous employment where redundancy, the employer's business closure or constructive termination causes the employment to end. Seasonal workers generally need three preceding seasons with at least three or four working days in each season. The severance rate is two weeks per year for up to five years, three weeks per year from five to ten years, and four weeks per year above ten years, subject to a maximum of 52 weeks. A lay-off or suspension lasting at least 12 weeks can support an application to treat the situation as a termination, and a worker may have a re-employment preference for up to 12 weeks. A worker can bring an employment complaint to the Labour Commissioner for informal investigation and mediation through the Labour Department. If no settlement is reached after 14 days, the matter can be referred to the Minister or a Hearing Officer. On Nevis, national employment rules apply and the Nevis Island Administration Labour Department provides a local access point. The researched sources do not establish a separate Nevis employment system.