Pursuing business development can bring many rewards for your company, and a global expansion in Burundi is one compelling option for growth. At Globalization Partners, we believe that borders shouldn't be boundaries,...
Read MorePursuing business development can bring many rewards for your company, and a global expansion in Burundi is one compelling option for growth. At Globalization Partners, we believe that borders shouldn't be boundaries, and we're here to help your business grow.
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Pursuing business development can bring many rewards for your company, and a global expansion in Burundi is one compelling option for growth. At Globalization Partners, we believe that borders shouldn’t be boundaries, and we’re here to help your business grow.
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Work with us for solutions grounded in local expertise and extensive field knowledge from our dedicated team. We can serve as your Employer of Record (EOR) to streamline every step of setting up your company internationally. Using our established subsidiary in the country, you can start working in a few days while saving time and gaining peace of mind.
Located below the Equator in east-central Africa, Burundi is making progress toward economic growth. Bujumbura, the capital city, is a hub for recent infrastructure development.
With Globalization Partners as your EOR, you can engage with the local economy and attract the region’s brightest talent to join your team. We have entities in over 180 countries worldwide and offer extensive expertise and services to establish your company globally.
When doing business in Burundi, there are few concepts you’ll want to keep in mind. As in any setting around the world, focusing on presentation is key to successful interactions and engagement. Ensure you dress professionally, provide a polite greeting and warm handshake, and interact courteously when meeting business parties. Being prompt and polite, addressing people by their proper titles, and using appropriately formal language are also valuable for any professional interactions.
Burundi’s labor laws do not explicitly require an employment contract. However, standard practice is to provide a written or oral contract. It must be concluded in writing for all parties except daily workers. If the agreement is verbal, you should provide a written statement of employment to employees before they begin work.
The contract should include the following information:
Upon hiring, you may require a probation period to help a new employee learn the requisite skills and give you time to assess their suitability for the role. The probationary duration should be less than or equal to six months. You must not hire a worker with a fixed-term contract for a permanent position. If an employee continues working for you after the end of a fixed-term contract, it becomes an indefinite contract.
The maximum number of hours an employee should work per day is typically eight, while the weekly maximum should be no more than 45. Hours on specific days can exceed or be less than eight, going up to 10 hours in one day for shift work.
In extraordinary circumstances where you have unusually high workloads, you may add up to 15 additional hours of work per week. The yearly limit is 150 extra hours.
Your employees are entitled to one and two-thirds days of vacation leave for each month of employment with your company. This amounts to 20 days of paid annual leave. They also have a right to a leave of absence after at least one month of working for you.
As an employer, you are responsible for providing 66.7 percent of regular wages for sick employees for up to three months of leave. However, for the first three days of sick leave, you may not be required to provide benefits.
Female employees who have worked for your company for at least six months are entitled to a minimum of six weeks of maternity leave after birth. You should provide up to 12 weeks of maternity leave — or 14 if the employee experiences medical complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Throughout maternity leave, your employee’s pay should be 50% of her regular wages.
Within the first month of the probationary period, either you or your employee can terminate the contract without notice. After the first month, but still within the probationary period, either party can terminate the employment agreement with three days’ notice.
For indefinite contracts after the probationary period, you must provide notice of termination based on your employee’s length of service:
You must use a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system for payroll. Income tax rates depend on total income earned and range from 0 to 30 percent. As an employer, you are responsible for remitting payments within 15 days of the monthly due date at the end of the month.
You must contribute 6 percent of each employee’s paycheck to social security, with an additional 3 percent of wages for hazardous jobs. It’s also your responsibility to affiliate your employees with a maternity and health insurance provider.
There are no requirements for supplemental bonuses, but you can include extra rewards and other benefits to create an attractive package for prospective employees in the region. Consider providing additional paid time off, longer maternity or paternity leave, or an end-of-the-year bonus.
On the 13 public holidays observed in Burundi, employees are entitled to paid leave with 100 percent of their regular wages. If they work on a public holiday, they should receive 200 percent of their regular wages.
The public holidays in Burundi are:
If you’re ready to explore a global expansion in Burundi, Globalization Partners is your trusted EOR. We handle everything from HR responsibilities to legal compliance, so you can pursue your company’s goals with confidence. Contact us to learn more about how our team of experts can help you grow your company today.
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