Country HR Guide

HR Management in Peru

Private-sector employment in Peru is governed by a set of labour laws administered by the Ministry of Labour (MTPE) and enforced by SUNAFIL. Two statutory bonuses a year and a severance fund (CTS) are major parts of pay. Here is what employers need to know about leave, pay, tax and ending employment.

Currency Peruvian Sol (PEN)
Capital Lima
Languages Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Standard week 48 hours
Minimum wage S/ 1,130 / month
EsSalud (employer) 9%
Figures last reviewed September 2026.

Leave entitlements

The figures below apply under the general labour regime. Micro and small businesses registered under the special MYPE regime can offer reduced benefits, such as 15 days of annual leave.

30 days
Annual leave

Calendar days of paid leave after each full year of service. Employees may agree to sell up to 15 of those days back to the employer.

98 days
Maternity leave

49 days before and 49 days after the birth, which can be rearranged with medical approval. Paid as an EsSalud subsidy. 30 more days for multiple births or a child with a disability.

10 days
Paternity leave

Consecutive calendar days of paid leave, paid by the employer. Longer for premature or multiple births and serious complications.

20 days
Employer-paid sick leave

The employer pays the first 20 days of incapacity in a year. After that, EsSalud pays a temporary incapacity subsidy.

Using annual leave

Leave is earned once the employee has completed a year of service and met the minimum attendance requirement. The timing is agreed between employer and employee, and leave can be split into shorter periods within the limits set by law. Leave not taken in the following year gives rise to additional compensation.

How IceHrm helps

Set up each Peruvian leave type in IceHrm with its own accrual, carry forward and approval rules, including different entitlements for staff under the MYPE regime. Employees see their live balance before they apply, and managers see who is away on a shared calendar. Leave management →

Pay & working hours

The minimum wage (Remuneración Mínima Vital, RMV) is set by supreme decree and applies to a full working day of 8 hours or 48 hours a week.

S/ 1,130
Minimum monthly wage

In force since 1 January 2025 and still current in September 2026.

8 h / 48 h
Maximum ordinary hours

Per day and per week. Management and trusted positions can be excluded from the maximum.

2 × 1 month
Gratificaciones

Two statutory bonuses, each equal to one month’s pay, paid in July and December, plus an extra 9% bonus in place of the EsSalud contribution.

Overtime and other pay rules
  • Overtime is voluntary and paid at least 25% above the hourly rate for the first 2 hours and 35% for further hours.
  • Night work (22:00 to 06:00) must be paid at least 35% above the minimum wage.
  • Employees with children under 18 receive a family allowance of 10% of the minimum wage.
  • Companies with more than 20 employees share 5–10% of pre-tax profits with employees, depending on the sector.
  • A payslip (boleta de pago) must be given to the employee within 3 working days of payment.
How IceHrm helps

Capture attendance and overtime in IceHrm and feed the hours straight into payroll, so the 25% and 35% overtime tiers reflect what was actually worked. Time & attendance →

Income tax

Domiciled individuals pay income tax on labour income at progressive rates set in tax units (UIT). For 2026 one UIT is S/ 5,500. The first 7 UIT (S/ 38,500) of labour income are exempt, and up to 3 more UIT can be deducted for qualifying expenses. Employers withhold the tax monthly.

Rates for domiciled individuals, tax year 2026, applied to net labour and foreign income after the 7 UIT deduction. Non-domiciled employees pay a flat 30% on Peruvian-source income.
Net taxable incomeIn soles (2026)Rate
Up to 5 UITUp to S/ 27,5008%
Over 5 up to 20 UITS/ 27,501 – S/ 110,00014%
Over 20 up to 35 UITS/ 110,001 – S/ 192,50017%
Over 35 up to 45 UITS/ 192,501 – S/ 247,50020%
Over 45 UITOver S/ 247,50030%

Employer payroll costs

The only employer social security contribution is health insurance. Pension contributions are paid by the employee and withheld by the employer. The statutory bonuses and CTS add significantly to the annual cost.

9%
EsSalud health contribution

Paid by the employer on each employee’s pay. 6% for agricultural companies from 2024 to 2028.

13% / ~12.4%
Employee pension

Withheld from pay: 13% for the public system (ONP), or about 12.4% for a private fund (AFP), including insurance and fees.

~1 month
CTS severance fund

Roughly one month’s pay a year, deposited in two halves in May and November into an account the employee chooses.

Other employer obligations
  • Vida Ley life insurance – employer-paid life insurance for employees from the start of employment.
  • SCTR – complementary high-risk work insurance for employees in activities listed by law, such as mining.
  • Gratificaciones – two extra monthly salaries a year (July and December).
  • Profit sharing – for companies with more than 20 employees.
How IceHrm helps

Build Peruvian pay the way you already structure it, with your own salary components, deductions and formula columns, such as EsSalud, AFP or ONP and gratificación columns. Want to know how well IceHrm handles payroll calculations for Peru? Contact us or see Payroll →

Ending employment

After probation, an employer can only dismiss for a just cause related to the employee’s conduct or capacity, following a written procedure. A dismissal without a valid cause is arbitrary and entitles the employee to statutory compensation.

Common ways employment ends
  • Resignation by the employee
  • Mutual agreement
  • Expiry of a fixed-term contract
  • Dismissal for serious misconduct
  • Dismissal for capacity
  • Collective termination for objective reasons, with authority approval
Notice and procedure
The employer may waive all or part of an employee’s resignation notice.
SituationPeriod
Resignation by the employee30 days’ notice
Dismissal for misconduct: time to respond to the written chargesAt least 6 days
Dismissal for capacity: time to respond or show improvementUp to 30 days
Compensation for arbitrary dismissal
Fractions of a year are paid pro rata by months and days. Paid on top of the CTS, which the employee withdraws when employment ends.
Contract typeCompensation
Indefinite contract1.5 monthly salaries per year of service, up to 12 salaries
Fixed-term contract1.5 monthly salaries per month remaining, up to 12 salaries

Final pay includes pending wages, accrued and untaken annual leave, the pro rata gratificación and any CTS not yet deposited. It must be paid within 48 hours of the end of employment.

Public holidays

Peru has 16 national public holidays. The government also declares occasional non-working days, which in the private sector only apply by agreement with the employer.

New Year’s Day1 January
Holy ThursdayMarch / April
Good FridayMarch / April
Labour Day1 May
Battle of Arica and Flag Day7 June
Saint Peter and Saint Paul29 June
Peruvian Air Force Day23 July
Independence Day28 July
National Holiday29 July
Battle of Junín6 August
Santa Rosa de Lima30 August
Battle of Angamos8 October
All Saints’ Day1 November
Immaculate Conception8 December
Battle of Ayacucho9 December
Christmas Day25 December

Employees who work on a public holiday without a substitute rest day are paid an additional 100% on top of their normal pay for that day.

How IceHrm helps

Leave groups give each office its own holiday calendar, so you can add regional holidays or a declared non-working day once and every employee in that office sees it automatically. Holiday calendars →

Hiring & contracts

Indefinite contracts can be verbal, but fixed-term (modal) and part-time contracts must be in writing, state the objective reason for the fixed term, and be filed with the labour authority.

Mandatory registrations
  • T-Registro – register each new employee in the electronic payroll register on their first day of work.
  • PLAME – declare pay, withholdings and contributions to SUNAT every month.
  • Pension system choice – record whether the employee joins ONP or a private AFP.
  • Vida Ley and SCTR policies – in place from the start where applicable.
Probation and fixed-term limits

The standard probation period is 3 months. It can be extended by written agreement to up to 6 months for qualified or trusted staff and up to 1 year for management positions. Fixed-term contracts must be linked to a reason allowed by law, and successive fixed-term contracts with the same employer are limited to 5 years in total.

How IceHrm helps

Send contracts for e-signing, store them on the employee’s record, and track onboarding with task lists so day-one registrations and probation reviews are not missed. Documents & e-signing →

Official sources Disclaimer

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.

Manage your Peru workforce with IceHrm

Configure leave types, accrual rules and public holidays for Peru, 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 Peru? Talk to us.

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