Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa, bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Its economy is based heavily on agriculture, with a largely rural and rapidly growing population. The country has a diverse population with many native languages spoken.

Employees in Malawi are entitled to a minimum wage of MWK 50,000 per month, and the average workweek is no more than 48 hours per week. Overtime is paid at a rate of between 200%-400% of the regular rate.

Parental Leave

Pregnant employees in Malawi are entitled to 8 weeks of paid maternity leave every 3 years, and there is no statutory paternity leave.

Sick Leave

After finishing 1 year at their company, employees are entitled to at least 4 weeks of fully paid sick leave and 8 weeks of half paid sick leave each year.

Paid Leave

There are 12 public holidays in Malawi, and employees are entitled to at least 15 days for employees with 5-day weeks and 18 days for employees with 6-day weeks.

Process

Employers can terminate employment contracts for reasons relating to business, personal, or misconduct. Terminations require a written notice and explanation. If the reason for termination is misconduct, there needs to be a warning given so the employee gets a chance to explain their actions.

Notice Period

The amount of notice usually depends on how often the employee is paid, and ranges between 1-30 days.

Severance Pay

Employees only have to pay severance if the employee has worked at the company for at least 1 year and the employer is terminating the contract for economic reasons (like layoffs), or if the termination is unfair. The amount of the payment depends on how long the employee has worked at the company:

• 1-5 years = 2 weeks of wages for each year of employment
• 6-10 years = 3 weeks of wages for each year of employment
• 11+ years = 4 weeks of wages for each year of employment

N/A