As per the Employment and Skill Development Law 2013, once an employee has been appointed, there is a compulsory obligation to have the employment contract prepared. The employment contract must be signed within 30 days from appointment, except where the employee is on probation or training as a pre-condition to appointment. The law designates a list of mandatory provisions that must be included in the contract. Since 2015, the MOL has required all employers in Myanmar to use an official employment contract form for their employment agreements with their employees, and to register these with the respective Township Labour Office (TLO). In 2017, a new version of the official employment contract template (EC) was published. The official EC requires a fixed term to be stated, with an option to renew the contract at the end of the employment term. The TLOs, which administer the registration of the EC, stipulate as an internal practice a maximum period of two (2) years for each employment contract.
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Trial Period
Employment on probation or as a trainee is not mandatory and depends on company policy. Employees who are on probation or are trainees are eligible for casual leave, medical leave, and maternity/paternity leave. However, the benefits under the SSL can be claimed when the employee already contributed with the minimum period under the SSL.
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Hours Of Work
The stipulated working hours for shops, companies, trading centres, service enterprises, and entertainment houses is eight (8) hours a day. For factories, the prescribed working hours are not more than 44 hours a week. For oil fields and mines, it is not more than 44 hours a week and for offshore oil and gas, it is not more than 12 hours per day. There are mandatory overtime payments that need to be paid for every hour/day worked beyond the prescribed limits. These have been set by the following laws where relevant:
- The Factories Act 1951;
- The Shops and Establishments Law 2016 and Rules, 2018;
- The Leave and Holidays Act 1951 and Rules 2018; and
- The Oilfields (Labour and Welfare) Act 1951.
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Special Rules For Part-time Work
Working hours are normally set at eight (8) hours a day or a maximum of 48 hours a week, according to the nature of work. Weekly working hours must not exceed 48 hours. Working hours under the Shop and Establishment Law 2016 for shops, companies, trading centres, service enterprises and entertainment houses are as follows: eight (8) hours a day, 48 hours a week, and overtime working hours shall not exceed 12 hours a week. The prescribed minimum rest should be at least 30 minutes after four hours of work.
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Earnings
Under current practices of the MOL, overtime pay is double the employee’s basic salary. Under the Shop and Establishment Law, 2016 , overtime is limited to a maximum of 12 hours per week, or 16 hours in cases of special needs. Overtime payment is double the hourly rate. The standard calculation method is as follows:
(Monthly salary × 12 months) x 2 / 52 weeks × 44 (or 48) hours = Overtime hourly rate
Permitted overtime hours (new practice for MIC permitted companies):
- Maximum 20 hours per week.
- Maximum 3 hours per day.
- Maximum 5 hours for Saturday.
The Minimum Wages Law, which was passed on 22 March 2013, along with the Minimum Wage Rules of 12 July 2013, direct the National Committee to prescribe a minimum wage standard applicable to a wide number of sectors. The National Committee on Minimum Wages would consider existing salaries, living cost indices, standards of living, employment opportunities and various other considerations for setting the standard rate. The National Committee would also consider recommendations from the union, region, and state committees in making its assessment.
The minimum wage, as announced by the National Committee via its Notification No. 2/2015 on 28 August 2015, sets the national minimum wage at an hourly rate of MMK 450, and MMK 3,600 for an eight (8) hour workday. The minimum wage applies to all employees regardless of age, industry, experience, and region, except small businesses and family-run business with fewer than 15 employees. It is also highlighted that the National Minimum Wage Committee has issued its Notification No. 2/2018 for public consultation on 14 May 2018, regarding a proposed new minimum wage set at MMK 600 per hour, and MMK 4,800 for an eight (8) hour workday, applicable to all businesses except those with fewer than 10 employees. Confirmation is expected within 60 days.
On 9 October 2023, Notification No. 2/2023 was issued by the National Committee, bringing changes to the minimum wage. According to the notification, employers with a workforce of 10 or more are now required to pay a daily minimum wage of MMK 4,800. Additionally, they must provide an extra daily allowance of MMK 1,000. These supplementary allowances need to be clearly categorized and paid under the label “additional allowances,” effective from 1 October 2023.
Starting 1 October 2023, the increased daily allowance of MMK 1,000 applies not only to regular working days but also to leave days and holidays as stipulated by the Leave and Holidays Act 1951. The MOL confirmed on 15 October 2023, through the Global New Light of Myanmar, that the minimum daily wage for workers remains fixed at MMK 4,800 for an eight-hour workday. Workers are entitled to additional allowances of MMK 1,000, with overtime pay continuing to be calculated based on the MMK 4,800 rate.
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Holidays/Rest Periods
Every employee is to be granted all gazetted public holidays amounting to 20 to 26 days in a calendar year.
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Minimum/Maximum Age
The minimum working age is 14 years old, as per the new Child Rights Law and existing Labour Laws. There is no statutory retirement age for employees working in the private sector. For civil servants, the statutory retirement age is 62 years old. Mandatory retirement age can be set by the employer when not prohibited from doing so.
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Illness/Disability
The Social Security Law 2012 provides for a number of benefits to employees and is applicable to any organisation with more than five (5) employees. Employees are entitled to medical treatment and cash benefit for sickness, maternity, confinement, retirement and for funeral benefit. Medical treatment can be taken for up to 26 weeks starting from the date of treatment. For purposes of medical leave, Myanmar law allows up to 30 days to every employee for sickness. An application for medical leave must be supported by a medical certificate from a certified medical officer, doctor, or any other certified medical practitioner. For cash benefit, employees need to have worked for at least six (6) months with the establishment.
A unique feature of this legislation is that it makes express mention of an unemployment benefit insurance scheme, though it is not yet implemented. Under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, employers are liable to pay compensation for any injuries resulting from an accident arising during the course of employment, unless it has occurred due to negligence of the employee, such as due to intoxication or substance abuse.
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Location Of Work/Mobility
Depending on the type of industry, an employer may be required to provide transport arrangements, such as ferries and shuttle buses, for the convenience of its employees. However, there is no provision specifying that the employer must make these arrangements.
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Pension Plans
There are pension schemes available for employees working with the government. However, under the Social Security Law, employers and workers will contribute to the social security fund for superannuation as per rates set by the MOL in consultation with the Union Government, but this is not yet implemented by the social security board.
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Parental Rights (Pregnancy/ Maternity/ Paternity/ Adoption)
Every female employee, insured under the Social Security System or not, is eligible for six (6) weeks’ leave prior to delivery and for eight (8) weeks after delivery, up to a maximum of 14 weeks, as maternity leave with pay. In case of delivery of twins, an insured employee is eligible for an additional four (4) weeks of maternity leave post-delivery. In case of miscarriage, an insured employee is entitled to six (6) weeks of leave. An insured male employee is entitled to 15 days of leave for infant care after delivery. Every insured employee is eligible for leave for up to eight (8) weeks for childcare in case of adoption of a child who has attained less than one (1) year of age.
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Compulsory Terms
The law requires employment contracts to include minimum conditions of work. These are laid out in the Employment and Skill Development law, which contains provisions that are compulsory in the contract. Standard provisions, such as wages/salary, type of employment, location and working hours, have to be specifically stated. Additional terms, such as days off, meal arrangements, medical treatment, termination provisions, accommodation, and transport arrangements, are all compulsory terms that need to be incorporated into the contract, if applicable to a given industry.
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Non-Compulsory Terms
These may be anything apart from the bare minimum stated under the law. These can be mutually agreed by the parties but shall not be less favourable than the minimum standards of employment under the law.
Agreements are to be in writing and are generally contractual in nature. The contents of the mandatory EC issued by the MOL cannot be changed without prior government approval from the Department of Labour .
There are no specific obligations under law to protect a party’s confidentiality. However, these should be included within the contract for employment. The mandatory EC covers the non-disclosure and confidentiality obligations of the employee. The Competition Law (2015) also contains general provisions for non-disclosure and confidentiality. There are no specific legal provisions requiring employers to protect employee privacy and personal data.
New IP laws enacted in 2019 generally designate the employer, in cases where employee(s) create the work during the course of employment, as the default rights owner if any creation by the employee does not contradict the provisions under the employment agreement, if the employer does not fail to register the creation within the prescribed notice period, and if the employee does not waive the rights.
There are no provisions on pre-employment consideration under Myanmar labour laws, which mostly consider post-employment conditions.
Employers must ensure that their employees are permitted to work in Myanmar. At present, companies formed under Myanmar Investment Law are eligible to hire non-nationals and apply for work permits and visas. For all other companies, whether locally owned or foreign, there are no restrictions for hiring non-nationals. However, they must ensure that valid documentation is in place. Labour authorities are currently in the process of drafting a Foreign Workers Law to establish specific laws for foreign nationals working in Myanmar.
There are special requirements for certain industries due to the nature of work involved, and these may have restrictions such as age limits. For instance, in hazardous industries, employees must be at least 18 years of age and must have a valid certification in the relevant field.
Employers are free to outsource work or sub-contract, if necessary.