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hire in Jamaica

Jamaica PEO &
Employer of Record

SALARY PAYMENT IN Jamaican Dollar (JMD)

CONTRACT LANGUAGE English

PAYROLL TAX  12.50%

PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly

TIME TO HIRE 24 hours

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with Horizons in
180+ countries

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons PEO

Hire in Jamaica

Horizons ensures day-to-day guidance to help your business navigate Jamaica labor laws and regulations. Horizons also ensures payroll is processed weekly or fortnightly (the standard periods in Jamaica ), and that taxes are withheld as required.

As the Jamaica Employer of Record, Horizons is responsible for employee income tax withholding, payment of payroll taxes to state authorities, and submission of tax returns to the Jamaica Tax Office. 

Partnering with our Jamaica PEO is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the Jamaica market.

Facts & Stats

PEO Platform Hire in Jamaica, and pay employees through our platform or app. PEO Cost Our Jamaica PEO solution is the most affordable on the market. Time-to-hire Fast onboarding in Jamaica, hire in as little as 24 hours.
Contracts We draft labor contracts compliant with Jamaican labor law. Local Benefits We administer all mandatory benefits and contributions in Jamaica. 180+ Countries It doesn’t stop with Jamaica — we are an international PEO
stay compliant with Jamaica labor laws

Employment Law

Jamaica employment contracts

In Jamaica, contracts of employment can be either verbal or written. However, we recommend that you always write up a formal contract whenever hiring in Jamaica. Contracts should be written in English, reference the local currency of the Jamaican dollar, and include all relevant details such as compensation, benefits, working hours, and so on.

Fixed-term
Probationary period3 – 6 months (standard)
Termination notice period

2 week notice: 0 – 5 years’ service

4 week notice: 5 -10 years’ service

6 week notice: 10 – 15 years’ service

8 week notice:  15 – 20 years’ service

12 week notice: 20+ years’ service

Severance

Only in cases of redundancy

2 weeks’ salary per year of service, for first 10 years’ service

3 weeks’ salary per year for each year after 10 years’ service

Indefinite
Probationary period3 – 6 months (standard)
Termination notice period

2 week notice: 0 – 5 years’ service

4 week notice: 5 -10 years’ service

6 week notice: 10 – 15 years’ service

8 week notice:  15 – 20 years’ service

12 week notice: 20+ years’ service

Severance

Only in cases of redundancy

2 weeks’ salary per year of service, for first 10 years’ service

3 weeks’ salary per year for each year after 10 years’ service

Working hours in Jamaica

The standard working week for employees in Jamaica is 40 hours. Any hours worked beyond 40 hours must be paid at overtime rates.

Hire compliantly in Jamaica without a local entity.

Quick, compliant hiring in 24 hours—no subsidiary required.

National holidays in Jamaica

There are several annual public holidays in Jamaica. Many employees receive the following days off work:

Jamaica has a range of national public holidays that are celebrated annually. In 2023 these holidays are:

DateHoliday name
1 Jan SundayNew Year’s Day
2 Jan MondayDay off for New Year’s Day
22 Feb WednesdayAsh Wednesday
7 Apr FridayGood Friday
10 Apr MondayEaster Monday
23 May TuesdayLabor Day / May Day
1 Aug TuesdayEmancipation Day
6 Aug Sunday Independence Day
7 Aug MondayDay off for Independence Day
16 Oct MondayNational Heroes’ Day
25 Dec Monday Christmas Day
26 Dec Tuesday Boxing Day

Vacation in Jamaica

Employees in Jamaica are generally entitled to at least ten days of paid leave annually. After working for more than 10 years with an employer, this entitlement rises to 15 days.

Jamaica's healthcare system

Sick leave in Jamaica

After 110 days of service with an employer, employees in Jamaica are entitled to accrue one day of paid sick leave for every 22 days of work completed. After one year of service, employees are entitled to two weeks of paid sick leave.

Maternity and paternity leave in Jamaica

After one year of service with an employer, female employees in Jamaica are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave, with the first eight weeks paid.

Employee severance and terminations in Jamaica

Employees in Jamaica are generally entitled to between two and 12 weeks of notice prior to termination. The precise length of mandatory notice depends on the employee’s length of service with the employer.

In cases where severance is due, payments are usually capped at 22 weeks of salary.

Tax laws in Jamaica

Both employers and employees in Jamaica are required to pay a portion of salary toward social security at a rate of 2.5% each. Additionally, employers must pay at least 5% into a pension fund for each employee.

Income tax in Jamaica is 25% for most employees.

Corporate tax in Jamaica differs depending on the type of company. For most companies regulated by the Bank of Jamaica, the tax rate is 33 and one-third percent. For unregulated businesses, it is 25%. Other rates apply to other types of businesses, such as building societies.

Health coverage in Jamaica

Jamaica has a public healthcare system, so employers are not expected to provide private medical insurance. However, some may choose to offer it as a benefit.

hassle-free Jamaica compensation & benefits

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation laws in Jamaica
For most workers in Jamaica, the mandatory minimum wage is 7,000 JMD per week.
Benefit management in Jamaica

Managing your benefits packages as an employer in Jamaica may include setting up things like private health insurance, supplementary parental leave payments, a company car, and so on.

Setting up such a benefits system for your Jamaican employees can be difficult if you are unfamiliar with the country and its unique labor laws. If you want to independently set up your benefits system, you can expect it to take weeks or even months, potentially presenting significant delays to your Jamaican expansion.

Horizons can simplify your Jamaica benefits management, with our Jamaica experts setting up and managing everything for you and helping you focus on a successful expansion operation.

Hire in Jamaica in 24h
without your own local entity.

With Horizons, you get quick service, transparent pricing, and expert support.

FAQs

A Jamaica PEO and a Jamaica EOR are two types of companies which specialize in providing human resources services to businesses in Jamaica.

The main difference between a Jamaica PEO and a Jamaica EOR is in the scope of their services.

Jamaica PEOs provide a full range of HR services, including payroll, benefits administration, and employee recruiting—all under one roof as a co-employer. Engaging a Jamaica PEO is essentially outsourcing your HR duties in Jamaica.

Jamaica EORs actually take over as the legal employer of your employees based abroad. Jamaica EORs become responsible for labor compliance for your employees in Jamaica.

At Horizons, we offer both PEO and EOR services in Jamaica. Get in touch now and let us know what service you are seeking.

A PEO in Jamaica can feasibly hire both local and foreign nationals to work in Jamaica.

However, the ability of Horizons to sponsor your foreign national employee in Jamaica may be limited due to visa quotas practiced in many countries.

Contact us with your requirements and our Global Mobility team with review the case and get back to you within 2 business days.

In most cases, Horizons’ Jamaica PEO can hire & onboard your employee within 24 hours. The actual start date of the employee will depend on their notice period obligation to their previous employer as well as any relevant hiring rules in Jamaica.

It is possible to get a work visa in Jamaica. Horizons’ Global Mobility team is a dedicated team of work visa experts. They assess the details of each case to determine feasibility and costs before Horizons applies for the work visa on behalf of your employee. If the Global Mobility team determines that your case is feasible, the process is smooth and transparent. Visa spots in Jamaica are limited, however—get started today to secure your employees’ visa spot.