Jamaica is an island country located in the Caribbean Sea. The country has an upper-middle-income with a tourism-based economy.

Jamaica has a global influence that disguises its small size — it’s the birthplace of the Rastafari religion, reggae music (and genres such as dub, ska, and dancehall), and is internationally renown in sports. Jamaica is often considered the world’s least populated cultural superpower.

The weekly minimum wage in Jamaica is JMD 9,000 per week, with a standard workweek of 40 hours at 8 hours per day. Any work exceeding 40 hours, work on a rest day, or work on a holiday, is considered overtime. Overtime is normally paid at 200% of the regular salary.

Parental Leave

Pregnant employees are entitled to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave after they’ve worked 1 year at an employer. This leave is paid for 8 weeks and is equal to the mother’s normal salary. There’s no mandatory paternity leave, although employers can offer it if they choose.

Sick Leave

Employees are granted 2 weeks of sick leave each year, or 3 weeks if they’ve worked at a company for 10 years.

Paid Leave

There are 11 public holidays in Jamaica, and employees are entitled to 2 weeks of paid time off each year (or 3 weeks of paid leave for employees who have worked at a company for 10 years or more).

Process

Employees can be terminated at will, for business reasons, or for misconduct. Employers need to notify the employee in advance with written notice.

Notice Period

The notice period depends on how long the employee has worked at their company:

• 0-5 years = 2 weeks notice
• 5-10 years = 4 weeks notice
• 10-15 years = 6 weeks notice
• 15-20 years = 8 weeks notice
• 20+ years = 12 weeks notice

Severance Pay

Employees are entitled to severance payments if they’re terminated because of redundancy. These payments are calculated as 2 weeks of pay per year for the first 10 years of employment, and 3 weeks of pay for each subsequent year of employment.

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