Employee benefitsin Mozambique

Some employers provide healthcare support that continues after employment ends. Absa Bank Mozambique’s disclosed post-employment healthcare plan is a banking-sector example, covering eligible former employees under the bank’s plan rules. This employer benefit is separate from compulsory social-security contributions. Whether a retiree remains eligible, which medical costs are covered and any family membership or employee contribution follow the plan’s terms.

Some employers provide fitness facilities at work. Vodacom Moçambique’s benefits policy offers an office gym with a personal trainer so employees can receive supervised exercise support. The benefit is access to an employer-provided facility, rather than a national cash wellness allowance or a reimbursement limit.

Employers must hold collective insurance for employees covering accidents at work and occupational diseases. Where an insured event causes incapacity, the law distinguishes pensions for permanent total or partial incapacity from compensation for temporary incapacity; a survivor pension applies where the worker dies. An additional payment applies when a disabled worker needs constant assistance. The employer must try to provide duties compatible with the employee’s remaining capacity. Insurance premiums depend on the applicable policy and risk, rather than a universal payroll percentage.

Employers contribute 4% and employees contribute 3% of the applicable remuneration base to the National Institute of Social Security, known as INSS. The combined 7% contribution finances statutory protection for illness, maternity and paternity, old age, disability and survivors. The employer deducts the employee share and remits both shares monthly. These contributions are distinct from private insurance premiums or a voluntary employer retirement plan.

The National Institute of Social Security, known as INSS, provides an old-age pension from age 55 for women or 60 for men with at least 240 contributed months. A worker with 420 contributed months can qualify regardless of age. The ordinary monthly pension uses contributed months, capped at 420, divided by 420, multiplied by average monthly registered earnings calculated from the last 60 registered monthly remunerations.

A reduced pension is available at the ordinary retirement age with at least 120 contributed months and pays 50% of the otherwise calculated pension. The ordinary minimum pension is linked to 90% of the lowest national minimum wage; that floor does not apply to the reduced pension.

For dismissal on structural, technological or market grounds, compensation depends on the employee’s basic salary plus seniority bonus compared with the minimum wage for the employer’s sector. The payment is 30 days of salary per year of service for pay from one to seven sector minimum wages; 15 days per year for pay above seven and up to 18 minimum wages; and five days per year for pay above 18 minimum wages. Individual or collective agreements can provide more favourable calculation rules.

Where a fixed-term contract is ended early under the relevant employer-termination procedure, compensation corresponds to remuneration that would have fallen due between termination and the agreed expiry. Compensation is tied to the legal reason and contract type; it is not a universal payment whenever employment ends.

Some employers maintain retirement plans alongside compulsory social security. Absa Bank Mozambique discloses both defined-benefit and defined-contribution pension arrangements. A defined-benefit plan calculates a promised retirement benefit using plan rules such as membership service and pay; a defined-contribution plan builds a balance from contributions and investment returns. The bank’s legacy defined-benefit plan and its contribution-based arrangements have different membership rules and should not be treated as a national employer contribution standard.

Employees receive 12 calendar days of paid annual leave in their first year of effective service and 30 calendar days in each subsequent year. For fixed-term contracts longer than three months but shorter than one year, entitlement is one day for each month of effective service. Public holidays falling during leave do not consume annual leave. Medically certified illness during leave also does not consume leave if the employer is informed within 10 calendar days.

Leave can be taken in the relevant calendar year or the following year. By agreement, it can be divided into periods of at least six days; spouses working for the same employer must be allowed to take leave together. Written agreement can accumulate up to 15 days per 12 months of service, subject to a 60-day accumulation ceiling. Cash substitution is exceptional and requires agreement, with at least six working days actually taken.

Illness or an accident beyond the employee’s control is a justified absence. An employer can refer an employee to a medical board after more than 15 continuous days of illness or more than five illness days in a quarter; these are assessment thresholds, rather than a fixed annual allowance of paid sick days. The employer may withhold salary during qualifying illness absence, subject to social-security protections.

The National Institute of Social Security, known as INSS, pays 70% of average daily registered earnings for eligible sickness absence, for up to 365 continuous days. Eligibility requires six contributed months in the previous 12 months and 20 days of actual remunerated work in one of the preceding two months. The daily earnings base uses six months of registered pay within the previous 12 months divided by 180. Certificates covering up to three days are unpaid by the fund; a certificate covering more than three days is paid for the full certified period. Hospitalisation, specified contagious disease and qualifying pregnancy-related incapacity have no waiting requirement. Fund benefit is not payable for a period in which the employer pays salary.

An employee can take justified absence to accompany a child or other minor in their care during hospital admission. Social-security sickness benefit also covers qualifying convalescence where a doctor requires special care. The ordinary age limit is 18; it does not apply where a medically certified physical or mental disability makes the person dependent. A child earning professional income is excluded from the ordinary dependent-child provision.

The National Institute of Social Security, known as INSS, also provides an inpatient benefit paid to the hospital or the person who proves they paid the costs, at the daily rate in the national health system. This benefit requires at least three contributed months within the previous 12 months. It is separate from salary replacement and is not a private medical-insurance limit.

Employees receive five days of justified leave for marriage and five days for the death of a spouse or partner, parent, child or stepchild, sibling, grandparent, stepparent or parent-, son- or daughter-in-law. Two days apply for the death of an aunt or uncle, cousin, niece or nephew, or sibling-in-law.

Justified absence also covers assistance to specified close family members after illness or an accident and convalescence following an early pregnancy loss. Foreseeable absence must be reported at least two days in advance. Justified absences generally preserve pay, seniority and annual leave, with separate statutory exceptions for illness and accompanying a hospitalised child.

Birth mothers receive 90 consecutive calendar days of maternity leave, additional to annual leave, starting up to 20 days before the expected birth. The entitlement applies to full-term and premature deliveries and to live births and stillbirths. Leave is suspended while the mother or child is admitted to hospital; medically prescribed prenatal absence is separate.

The National Institute of Social Security, known as INSS, pays maternity benefit for 90 days when the worker has 12 contributed months, consecutive or intermittent, within the preceding 18 months. Daily benefit is 100% of average daily registered earnings, calculated as six months of registered remuneration within the preceding 12 months divided by 180. Payments are monthly. This social-insurance calculation is distinct from a promise to replace every component of current take-home pay.

Pregnant employees can be reassigned away from medically inadvisable work without a pay reduction. From the third month of pregnancy, night, exceptional and overtime work and transfer from the usual workplace are restricted unless requested by the employee or necessary for her or the unborn child’s health.

Breastfeeding employees receive two paid half-hour breaks each day, or one paid hour during a continuous work schedule, for up to one year after maternity leave ends. Pregnancy and maternity protections require the employee to inform the employer of the relevant condition. The law restricts contract cessation during pregnancy and up to one year after maternity leave, with its express expiry and dismissal exceptions.

Fathers receive seven days of paternity leave beginning the day after their child’s birth and must notify their employer in writing. Another paternity leave cannot be taken within one year and six months after the previous leave. Where the mother dies or is medically certified as incapacitated, leave can extend to 60 days.

The National Institute of Social Security, known as INSS, provides a seven-day paternity benefit for a father with 12 contributed months within the previous 18 months. The ordinary seven-day benefit follows the sickness-benefit payment regime at 70% of the calculated average daily registered earnings, rather than guaranteeing full current salary. The exceptional benefit following the mother’s death or incapacity follows maternity-benefit calculation and can cover up to 60 days, with the relevant death certificate or medical-board evidence.

Some employers recognise individual contributions through formal awards. Vodacom Moçambique describes global recognition for employees who demonstrate its workplace behaviours and a monthly thank-you award for notable work. The programme recognises staff performance and conduct; the disclosed policy does not specify a cash award value, vesting schedule or universal bonus entitlement.

Some technology employers extend their own services to staff for personal projects. Interweb Moçambique provides employees with web hosting and a free domain for their personal projects. This is a defined service benefit rather than a cash internet allowance, and it does not establish employer reimbursement for household broadband or utilities.

Some technology employers offer work from home or a combination of home and office work. Interweb Moçambique advertises remote and hybrid arrangements, with employees organising hours with their team around customer-service needs. Its disclosed roles include remote technical support and digital marketing. Location and scheduling flexibility therefore depend on the role and team arrangement rather than an automatic right to work from any location.

Some employers pay for job-related learning. Interweb Moçambique’s careers policy covers courses, training and certifications in the employee’s field. This gives staff an employer-funded way to develop technical or professional skills, with the relevant course and certification determined by the role. It is an example of actual employer provision rather than a national allowance or a fixed annual cash budget.

Mozambique’s employment law regulates paid work performed under an employer’s authority. A paid activity carried out with the employer’s knowledge and without objection, or in economic dependence on the recipient, can give rise to a presumption of employment. Economic dependence means relying on income from that recipient for subsistence. The contract’s label alone does not decide status. Genuine self-employed arrangements must be assessed separately from employee leave, payroll and dismissal rights.

Employment contracts are normally written, dated and signed by both parties. They identify employer and employee, duties and professional category, workplace, pay amount and payment frequency, start date and, where relevant, duration, renewal conditions and the factual reason justifying a fixed term. Certain fixed-term execution tasks lasting no more than 90 days are excepted from the general written-form rule; telework, part-time work and foreign-worker contracts are among the expressly written categories. Failure to document a contract does not erase the employee’s rights. A missing fixed term or supporting reason can convert the agreement into indefinite employment.

Salary must be paid at regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly intervals according to the individual or collective agreement. Payment is made directly in legal-tender currency, by cheque or bank transfer. The non-cash part of remuneration cannot exceed 25% of total remuneration, must be suitable for the worker or family and must be agreed. A payslip identifies remuneration, deductions and the net amount. Monthly payroll is a practical arrangement within these permitted intervals.

Mozambique sets minimum monthly wages by sector. From 1 April 2026, the floors are MZN 10,845 for non-financial services, MZN 20,361.43 for banks and insurers and MZN 17,924.17 for microfinance. Across the published sectors, the lowest floor is MZN 4,991.09 for kapenta fishing. The employer’s legally applicable activity determines the floor; a financial-sector rate cannot be applied automatically to a technology or services employer.

Other monthly floors are MZN 7,072 for agriculture, livestock, hunting and forestry; MZN 7,063.22 for maritime, industrial and semi-industrial fishing; MZN 16,239.06 for large mining enterprises, MZN 8,488.48 for medium quarry and sand businesses, and MZN 6,824.17 for micro and small salt businesses; MZN 10,622.50 for manufacturing, MZN 7,500 for baking and MZN 7,000 for cashew processing; MZN 12,775 for large electricity, gas and water enterprises and MZN 10,366 for small and medium enterprises in that sector; MZN 8,652 for construction; MZN 10,600 for hotels, tourism and similar activities, MZN 8,690 for private security and MZN 10,079 for fuel retailers.

The general limit is eight hours a day and 48 hours a week, with at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, normally on Sunday. A nine-hour day can be used where an additional half-day of weekly rest is given. Collective agreements can permit exceptional daily extensions of up to four hours and weeks up to 56 hours, provided average weekly hours do not exceed 48 over a reference period of up to six months.

Overtime is limited to eight hours per week, 96 per quarter and 200 per year and is reserved for additional workload or compelling reasons. Work on weekly rest days or public holidays ordinarily gives compensatory rest within the next three days: a full day, or half a day when the work does not exceed five hours. Management and other qualifying roles can be exempt from scheduled hours. Continuous schedules include a paid rest break of at least half an hour.

For indefinite employment, probation can be up to two months generally, three months for intermediate-level technicians and six months for higher-level technicians and management. Fixed-term probation can be up to three months for contracts longer than one year, one month for contracts longer than six months but shorter than one year, and 15 days for contracts up to six months. An uncertain-term contract expected to last at least 90 days can have 15 days of probation.

The probation term must be agreed in writing; otherwise it is presumed excluded. Collective or individual agreements can shorten or remove it. During probation either party can normally end employment without stating just cause or paying compensation, with seven days’ written notice; where probation itself is 15 days, notice is three days.

Employers can end employment through the legally recognised routes, including expiry, mutual agreement, justified disciplinary dismissal and qualifying structural, technological or market grounds. An economic dismissal requires written communication to the employee, the relevant union and the labour ministry at least 30 days before the intended end date. Collective dismissals have additional consultation requirements.

For an employee resigning from an indefinite contract, the statutory default notice is 15 calendar days after more than six months and up to three years of service, and 30 days after more than three years. Employee termination of a fixed-term contract normally requires at least 30 days’ notice unless otherwise agreed. These employee resignation periods must not be substituted for the employer’s economic-dismissal notice.