Payroll and Benefits Guide Haiti

Annual Leave (Vacation)

In Haiti, employees are entitled to a minimum of 15 consecutive days of paid vacation leave after each year of continuous service. This vacation leave accrues proportionally throughout the year, and employees may take some leave before completing a full year with their employer’s agreement.

During vacation periods, employees receive their regular salary in full. Some industries or sectors may have collective agreements that provide more generous vacation leave entitlements than the legal minimum.

Under Haitian law, unused vacation leave typically cannot be carried over to the following year unless specifically stated in the employment contract or company policy. It is common for employees to lose unused leave if it isn’t taken within the year.

The annual leave cycle typically runs from January to December. However, this can be defined by the employer in the employment contract or company policies.

PTO carryover

In Haiti, statutory annual leave is a protected right. The law does not clearly provide for automatic carryover, but accrued vacation cannot be forfeited by policy. Unused statutory leave must be granted later or paid out on termination — a blanket “use-it-or-lose-it” rule is not supported.

Public Holidays

Holidays falling on weekends are usually lost.

Sick Leave

In Haiti, employees are entitled to paid sick leave according to the following:

• Eligibility: Employees become eligible for paid sick leave after completing a probationary period with their employer.
• Duration: Employees are entitled to up to 15 days of paid sick leave per year.
• Medical Certification: To qualify for paid sick leave, employees must provide a medical certificate from a recognized healthcare provider.
• Compensation: During sick leave, employees receive their regular salary. The employer is responsible for covering the sick leave pay.

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave in Haiti is governed by the Haitian Labor Code:

1. Duration: Female employees are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave. This is typically divided into 6 weeks before the expected delivery date and 6 weeks after childbirth.
2. Compensation: During maternity leave, employees receive their regular salary. The employer is responsible for covering the maternity leave pay.
3. Job Protection: Employers are required to keep the employee’s job open during the maternity leave period, ensuring that the employee can return to the same or a similar position after the leave ends.
4. Medical Certification: To qualify for maternity leave, employees must provide a medical certificate confirming the pregnancy and the expected delivery date.

Paternity Leave

In Haiti, there are currently no statutory laws that mandate paternity leave for fathers. This means that employers are not legally required to provide paid or unpaid leave specifically for new fathers. However, some employers may offer paternity leave as part of their company policies or through collective bargaining agreements.