Ghana Labour Act: Employee Leave Entitlements for Small Business Owners (2026)

Ghana's Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) is the backbone of employment law in the country. If you're running a business in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, or anywhere in Ghana, understanding what your employees are legally entitled to isn't a nice-to-have — it's a requirement.

Yet walk into most Ghanaian SMBs and ask about their leave policy, and you'll get a shrug. "We handle it informally." That works until someone files a complaint with the National Labour Commission. Then informal becomes expensive.

Here's everything you need to know about employee leave in Ghana — plain language, no legal jargon.

Annual Leave

Under the Labour Act, every worker is entitled to at least 15 working days of paid leave in any calendar year of continuous service.

Key details:

Leave accrues from the start of employment
The 15 days is a minimum — your employment contract or collective agreement can provide more
Leave should ideally be taken as one continuous period, but employer and employee can agree to split it
The employer decides the timing of leave, taking into account the worker's preference and business needs
Untaken leave must be carried forward or paid out — you cannot simply erase it
On termination, the employee is entitled to pay in lieu of any accrued, unused leave

What to include in your policy: Your leave year (calendar year or anniversary), the request process, minimum notice period for leave requests, and any blackout periods for your business.

Additional Leave for Long Service

Ghana's Labour Act provides additional leave based on length of service:

After 5 years of service: +1 extra day per year
After 10 years of service: +2 extra days per year

So an employee with 12 years of service is entitled to at least 17 working days of annual leave. Track your employees' service dates — this entitlement is automatic.

Sick Leave

Workers are entitled to sick leave with pay, but the Labour Act doesn't specify an exact number of days. In practice, the standard approach in Ghana is:

A medical certificate from a recognized health facility is required
Most employers and collective agreements provide 12–15 days of paid sick leave per year
Extended illness beyond the paid period may be treated as unpaid leave or trigger medical termination procedures

The Act does state that an employer cannot terminate a worker solely on the grounds of temporary illness, provided the illness is certified by a medical practitioner and doesn't exceed a reasonable period.

What to include in your policy: Number of paid sick days (specify this in the employment contract), when a medical certificate is required (typically after 2 consecutive days), notification process, and what happens when sick leave is exhausted.

Maternity Leave

Female workers are entitled to 12 weeks (84 calendar days) of maternity leave with full pay, structured as:

Leave may begin at least 2 weeks before the expected date of delivery
The remaining weeks are taken after delivery
If the baby is hospitalized after birth, the mother may request an extension of up to 2 additional weeks

Important protections:

A woman on maternity leave cannot be dismissed
Maternity leave does not affect annual leave, seniority, or other benefits
The employee must notify the employer at least one month before the expected date of delivery, with a medical certificate
After returning, a nursing mother is entitled to 1 hour per day during working hours for breastfeeding, for up to 12 months

What to include in your policy: When to notify the company, required documentation, handover process before leave, return-to-work arrangements, and how breastfeeding breaks work in your workplace.

Paternity Leave

Ghana's Labour Act 2003 does not explicitly provide for paternity leave. However, many progressive Ghanaian employers now offer 5–7 working days of paid paternity leave as a company benefit.

If you're looking to attract and retain talent — especially among younger workers — offering paternity leave is a competitive advantage. Even 3–5 days makes a meaningful difference and costs very little.

Recommendation: Add paternity leave to your company policy even though it's not legally required. 5 days is the emerging standard among Ghanaian SMBs and corporate employers.

Compassionate Leave / Bereavement

The Labour Act doesn't specify bereavement leave, but it's standard practice in Ghana to offer:

3–5 days for the death of a spouse, child, or parent
1–3 days for other close relatives

Given the cultural importance of funerals in Ghana — often involving travel to hometowns and multi-day ceremonies — being generous here builds enormous loyalty.

Public Holidays

Ghana observes 13 public holidays annually:

| Date | Holiday | | ------------------------ | ---------------------- | | January 1 | New Year's Day | | January 7 | Constitution Day | | March 6 | Independence Day | | Variable | Good Friday | | Variable | Easter Monday | | May 1 | May Day (Workers' Day) | | May 25 | African Union Day | | Variable | Eid al-Fitr | | Variable | Eid al-Adha | | August 4 | Founders' Day | | First Friday of December | Farmers' Day | | December 25 | Christmas Day | | December 26 | Boxing Day |

When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is typically observed. If an employee works on a public holiday, they should be compensated at the agreed overtime rate or given a compensatory day off.

Note: The dates for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha change each year based on the Islamic calendar. Update your company calendar annually.

The National Labour Commission

The National Labour Commission (NLC) is the body that handles labour disputes in Ghana. If an employee files a complaint about leave or any other employment issue, the NLC will expect you to produce:

A written employment contract
Records of leave taken and balances
Evidence of compliance with the Labour Act

If you can't produce these, the ruling typically favours the employee. This alone is reason enough to keep proper records.

Setting Up Leave for Your Ghanaian Business

Step 1: Review the minimums above and decide if you want to offer more than the legal requirement. Many competitive employers in Ghana offer 20 days annual leave, 5 days paternity, and 5 days compassionate leave.

Step 2: Write it down. A one-page leave policy covering annual, sick, maternity, compassionate, and public holidays is sufficient.

Step 3: Include it in every employment contract. The Labour Act requires that the terms of employment — including leave — be provided in writing.

Step 4: Track it properly. Whether you use a spreadsheet or an HR platform, record every request, approval, and balance change.

Step 5: Review annually. Check for law changes, adjust public holiday dates, and ensure long-service employees are getting their additional days.