Pay and rights at work · 6 min read
Labour Act 651 of Ghana: the numbers you need, with section numbers and the PDF
Ghana's Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) sets 8 hours a day, 40 a week, at least 15 working days of leave, and two weeks or a month of notice. Here is what it says, section by section.
The Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) is still Ghana's main employment law. It sets a maximum of 8 hours a day and 40 a week, at least 15 working days of paid leave a year, at least 12 weeks of maternity leave, and two weeks or one month of notice. It doesn't set an overtime rate or a redundancy formula. On 30 June 2026 a new Labour Bill was still under review and hadn't gone to Parliament, so bigger numbers you see online are proposals.
Where can I download the Act as a PDF?
We link two copies, because neither one is perfect for readers. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre's copy is on an official host, but it has printing gaps: it drops section 24, the heading of section 65, and section 57(1) to (3) on maternity. The copy on ecoi.net has those parts. We read both for this page.
The Act covers all workers and employers except the Armed Forces, the Police Service, the Prison Service and the security and intelligence agencies, under section 1.
Hours, overtime and rest
- Section 33: at most 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.
- Section 34: a workplace can set different days, up to an average of 8 hours. In seasonal work a day can be up to 10 hours.
- Section 35: hours after your fixed hours are overtime. You may not be required to do overtime unless the workplace has fixed overtime rates. You can't be compelled, except where the work needs it to be viable or in an emergency that threatens life or property.
- Section 38: unpaid extra hours only in exceptional cases, such as an accident threatening lives.
- Section 40: a 30 minute break on continuous hours, counted as work. A break of at least one hour if the day is in two parts, not counted as work.
- Section 41: at least 12 hours of rest between working days.
- Section 42: 48 hours in a row of rest in every seven days.
- Section 44: the hours and rest rules don't cover task workers or domestic workers in private homes.
The Act sets no overtime multiplier. There's no 1.5 times or 2 times in it, whatever you may read elsewhere. Your rate comes from your employer's rules or a collective agreement, so ask for it in writing. That's also why this site has no overtime calculator.
Leave and public holidays
- Section 20: at least 15 working days of leave with full pay in a calendar year of continuous service. Full pay means your normal pay without overtime.
- Section 21: where work isn't regular through the year, 200 days worked counts as continuous service.
- Section 22: public holidays, certified sickness, pregnancy and confinement don't affect your leave.
- Section 24: certified sickness during your leave isn't counted as leave.
- Section 28: you may be allowed to take leave in two roughly equal parts.
- Section 31: an agreement to give up your leave is void.
- Section 32: this part doesn't apply where only members of the employer's family work.
- Section 72: public holidays are paid.
The Act gives no set number of sick days for private sector staff. Check your contract or staff handbook. Public servants have their own policy, set by the Public Services Commission, with 21 to 36 working days of annual leave.
Women at work and new parents
- Section 55: unless she consents, a pregnant worker can't be assigned night work between 10pm and 7am. She, and a mother of a child under eight months, can't be engaged for overtime without her consent.
- Section 57: at least 12 weeks of maternity leave, on full pay, with at least two more weeks for an abnormal birth or more than one baby.
- Section 57(6) and (7): a nursing mother gets an hour a day to nurse, and it's paid.
- Section 63(2)(e): dismissing a woman because of pregnancy or maternity leave is unfair termination.
Ending a job
- Section 17: a contract of three years or more needs one month's notice or one month's pay. Under three years, two weeks or two weeks' pay. Week to week, seven days. A contract at will can end at the close of any day. Notice must be in writing, and the day you give it counts.
- Section 18: your employer must pay what you've earned, deferred pay and any compensation for sickness or accident. It's due by the end of the notice, or by the next working day if no notice is required. Either side can pay instead of giving notice.
- Section 63: unfair reasons include joining a union, making a complaint, your gender, race, religion or disability, pregnancy, and a certified temporary illness.
- Section 64: you can complain to the National Labour Commission.
- Section 65: redundancy pay is a matter for negotiation between the employer and the worker or union, with disputes going to the Commission. The employer must also give the Chief Labour Officer and the union three months' written notice of major changes.
- Section 66: the unfair termination part doesn't cover fixed-term contracts, workers on probation or casual workers.
There's no legal formula for severance, such as a month's pay per year worked. Anyone who quotes one is quoting a contract, a negotiated deal or a guess.
Casual and temporary workers, and pay
- Section 74: a casual worker's contract need not be in writing. They get equal pay for work of equal value, overtime under section 35, and full minimum pay for each day they attend, even if the weather stops work.
- Section 75: a temporary worker with the same employer for six continuous months or more is treated under this part as permanent.
- Section 76: the minimum month is the daily wage x 27 for weekdays, or 365 x the daily wage / 12 for every day of the week.
- Section 77: they're paid for public holidays, and paid in addition if they work on one.
- Section 68: equal pay for equal work.
- Section 69: an employer can't impose a money penalty on a worker for any cause.
Sources and further reading
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Labour Act 651 still the law in Ghana?
Yes, as far as we could find on 2 November 2026. On 30 June 2026 the Labour Minister said stakeholders would review the Labour Bill 2026 before it goes to Parliament.
How many hours is the legal work week in Ghana?
At most 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week under section 33, with some exceptions in the Act.
What is the overtime rate in Ghana?
The Act doesn't set one. Section 35 says you can't be required to do overtime unless the workplace has fixed overtime rates, so ask your employer for them.
Can my employer sack me without notice?
Your employer can end a contract by paying instead of notice, under section 18(4). A contract at will can end at the close of any day. Unfair reasons are still barred by section 63 for the workers it covers.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's a plain summary to help you ask the right question. For a real dispute, go to your union, the National Labour Commission or a lawyer.