The West African country of Ivory Coast, otherwise known as Côte d’Ivoire, is classed as a developing country, but it has experienced significant periods of growth in recent years and the economy has great potential to grow further in the near future.
While the country can be a great place to expand a business, it can be fraught with difficulties as it can be a challenge to navigate the country’s complex legal and administrative procedures. The language can present a barrier, as can the country’s often-inefficient administrative procedures and business regulations. These factors and more can make progress slow when trying to establish and grow a business in the country.
At New Horizons, we offer customizable outsourcing services to help organizations expand into Ivory Coast. Through our professional employer organization (PEO), payroll, and employ of record (EOR) services, we can take care of all of your setup and administration in Ivory Coast, making your expansion more efficient and more effective.
As the only Ivory Coast PEO with an in-house recruitment team, we can also take care of the sourcing, hiring, and onboarding of your Ivorian workforce, along with any associated HR and legal compliance work. Our tailored services can save you thousands in associated expansion costs.
Grow your presence in the Ivory Coast, with help from New Horizons outsourcing
Establish and grow your business in Ivory Coast, whether or not you already have a Ivory Coast subsidiary.
Rapid Market Entry
New Horizons will enable you to source, hire, and onboard professionals across Ivory Coast in as little as 48 hours.
Cost-Effective Expansion
Our PEO solution can help you benefit from cost savings of up to 85%, without the need to establish an Ivorian entity.
Payroll Outsourcing
Simplified Ivorian salary & payroll processing, including social security payments, tax, and any other required contributions.
Employee Onboarding
Utilize the relevant provision for all types of Ivorian labor contracts, whether a fixed-term or open-ended contract.
Onsite Legal & HR Team
Full support for Ivory Coast-specific contract renewals, terminations, annual leave management, HR, and strategic guidance.
Ensure Full Compliance
We ensure that employment contracts are fully compliant and adhere to Ivorian labor laws and best practices.
Hiring in Ivory Coast: Employment law overview
Ivorian employment contracts
Employment contracts need to be written in Ivory Coast and provided for every employee you hire. These contracts should be written in French and use the local currency of the West African CFA franc. Also, they should include all details of the agreement such as wage/salary, working hours, and benefits.
Working hours in Ivory Coast
The standard working week for employees in Ivory Coast is 40 hours across five days.
Public holidays in Ivory Coast
There are several annual public holidays in Ivory Coast. Many employees in the country receive the following days as leave from work:
- Easter Monday
- Whit Monday
- Laila tu-Kadar
- Eid al-Fitr
- Labor Day
- New Year’s Day
- Ascension Day
- Eid al-Kebir
- Independence Day
- The Prophet’s Birthday
- Christmas Day
- Assumption of Mary
- All Saints Day
- National Peace Day
Vacation leave in Ivory Coast
Employees in Ivory Coast can take a mandatory minimum of 26 days of vacation leave after one year of service, and 27 days after five years of service.
Sick leave in Ivory Coast
Usually, employees in Ivory Coast can take at least five days of paid sick leave from work each year.
Maternity and paternity leave in Ivory Coast
In general, employees in Ivory Coast are entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Employee severance and terminations in Ivory Coast
In Ivory Coast, mandatory notice periods for termination of employment contracts vary depending on the seniority of an employee and the type of work they are engaged in.
In general, employees are entitled to severance payments upon termination. Common rates range from 30% to 40% of normal monthly salary, depending on the employee’s length of service.
Taxation in Ivory Coast
Income tax for employees in Ivory Coast is split into two main categories. Firstly, there is a National Contribution tax on 80% of gross income that is progressively rated between 0% and 10% depending on income level. Secondly, there is a Salary Tax of 1.5% of 80% of gross income. This should be withheld by the employer.
The corporate tax rate in Ivory Coast is 25% for most companies, and 30% for certain types of businesses (such as telecommunications and IT).
Health coverage in Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast has a universal public healthcare system, but many employers also offer private medical insurance for employees as part of their benefits packages.
Ivory Coast compensations & benefits
Compensation Laws in Ivory Coast
The mandatory minimum wage for employees in Ivory Coast is 60,000 West African CFA francs per month.
Benefit management in Ivory Coast
Building an employee benefits system in Ivory Coast can be a long and complicated process, with the language, laws, and administrative procedures all potentially stalling your expansion progress.
Outsourcing your benefit management process ensures that you fully understand and adhere to the rules, ensuring your compliance and speeding up the process significantly. At New Horizons, our Ivory Coast employment experts will help you to find and arrange your benefits, advise on your strategy, and ensure compliance with the law.
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How can New Horizons help you expand into Ivory Coast?
New Horizons’ employer of record, payroll, and Ivory Coast PEO services offer your business everything needed to start building a presence and expanding in Ivory Coast. Our dedicated expansion teams can help you be up and running in Ivory Coast in as little as 48 hours, and could save you more than 80% in expansion costs, even if you don’t have an Ivorian entity.
We can handle all of your expenses, payroll, benefits, and legal compliance in Ivory Coast, as well as all related human resources administration. As the only Ivory Coast PEO with an in-house recruitment team, we can also find and hire your local staff, providing our Ivorian subsidiary to act as employer of record for your hires so you don’t even need to establish an Ivorian entity.
Get in touch with our Ivory Coast PEO experts today to find out more about our outsourcing services for Ivory Coast expansion.
