Employment in Jamaica is governed by several statutes, including the Employment (Termination and Redundancy Payments) Act, the Maternity Leave Act, the Minimum Wage Act and the Holidays with Pay Order. Here is what employers need to know about leave, pay, tax, statutory deductions and ending employment.
Minimum vacation and sick leave for most private sector workers come from the Holidays with Pay Order, and maternity leave from the Maternity Leave Act. Many employers and collective agreements give more.
Paid vacation once an employee has worked at least 220 days in a year, rising to 3 weeks after 10 years of service. Shorter service earns leave pro rata.
After 110 days of employment, sick leave accrues at 1 day for every 22 days worked, up to 2 weeks a year. A medical certificate may be required.
For employees with at least 52 weeks of continuous service. The first 8 weeks are paid by the employer at the normal wage.
There is no general statutory paternity leave in the private sector. Public sector fathers and adoptive parents get paid leave, and many private employers offer it by policy.
Set up each Jamaican leave type in IceHrm with its own accrual, carry forward and approval rules, including sick leave that accrues with days worked and pro-rata vacation. Employees see their live balance before they apply, and managers see who is away on a shared calendar. Leave management →
The national minimum wage is set by order under the Minimum Wage Act and expressed per 40-hour week. Industrial security guards are covered by their own order, which was raised to the same level in 2026.
From 1 July 2026, up from J$16,000. That is J$425 an hour.
Hours beyond 40 a week are overtime for workers covered by the minimum wage orders.
Time and a half for overtime, and double time for work on public holidays, under the minimum wage orders.
Capture attendance and overtime in IceHrm, including work on public holidays, and feed the hours straight into payroll so overtime reflects what was actually worked. Time & attendance →
Jamaica taxes resident individuals on income above a tax-free threshold. Employers deduct income tax through PAYE and pay it, with the other statutory deductions, to Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ).
| Annual chargeable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to J$1,902,360 | 0% |
| J$1,902,361 – J$6,000,000 | 25% |
| Over J$6,000,000 | 30% |
NIS contributions and approved pension contributions are deducted before income tax is calculated. Statutory deductions are due to TAJ by the 14th of the following month.
Employers deduct four statutory contributions from pay, add their own share, and pay the HEART/NSTA Trust levy on the wage bill.
| Contribution | Employer | Employee | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Insurance Scheme (NIS) | 3% | 3% | Gross pay up to J$5,000,000 a year |
| National Housing Trust (NHT) | 3% | 2% | Gross pay |
| Education Tax | 3.5% | 2.25% | Statutory income |
| HEART/NSTA Trust | 3% | – | Total wage bill |
Build Jamaican pay the way you already structure it, with your own salary components, deductions and formula columns, such as NIS, NHT and Education Tax columns. Want to know how well IceHrm handles payroll calculations for Jamaica? Contact us or see Payroll →
Employees who believe they were unjustifiably dismissed can take their case to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and, ultimately, the Industrial Disputes Tribunal, which can order reinstatement or compensation. Employers should follow a fair process, including a hearing for misconduct cases.
| Continuous service | Notice |
|---|---|
| Less than 5 years | 2 weeks |
| 5 years, less than 10 years | 4 weeks |
| 10 years, less than 15 years | 6 weeks |
| 15 years or more | 8 weeks |
Employees with at least 104 weeks of continuous service who are made redundant are entitled to redundancy pay of 2 weeks’ pay for each year of service up to 10 years, and 3 weeks’ pay for each year after that.
Final pay should include any accrued, unused vacation leave.
Jamaica has 10 public holidays. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is usually observed.
Work on a public holiday is paid at double time for workers covered by the minimum wage orders.
Leave groups give each office its own holiday calendar, including movable days such as Ash Wednesday and Easter, so leave requests always count the right working days. Holiday calendars →
Employees can be hired on indefinite, fixed-term, part-time or casual terms. Jamaican law does not require every contract to be in writing, but a written contract is strongly recommended and cannot give less than the statutory minimums.
Probation is not regulated by statute. Periods of around 3 months are common and should be stated in the contract. Statutory notice applies once an employee has 4 weeks of continuous service.
Send contracts for e-signing, store them with TRN and NIS details on the employee’s record, and track onboarding with task lists so nothing is missed on day one. Documents & e-signing →
This guide is general information to help you plan HR processes, not legal, tax or financial advice. Employment law and rates change regularly and awards, enterprise agreements and state rules may give employees more than the minimums shown here. Always confirm current requirements with the official sources or a qualified adviser.
Configure leave types, accrual rules and public holidays for Jamaica, keep employee records and contracts in one place, and run payroll with your own salary components. Want to know how IceHrm handles payroll calculations for Jamaica? Talk to us.
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