Hiring in Bamako: contract, probation, working time, leave and dismissal (Labour Code)
Mali's Labour Code rules for a Bamako employer: written fixed-term contracts of two years at most, probation, the 40-hour legal week, overtime premiums, leave of 2.5 days a month, notice of one to three months, severance of 20 to 30% of pay per year of service.
Hiring in Bamako means signing a contract, respecting working-time limits, granting leave and, when the time comes, knowing how to part ways with an employee. All these rules are in the Labour Code, whose version consolidated up to law no. 2019-025 of 5 July 2019 is published by the General Secretariat of the Government. Here is what an employer or prospective employee needs to know.
Before you decide: this text dates from 2019 in its latest consolidated version. Check that no later amendment or collective agreement provides rules more favourable to the employee, which the Code expressly allows.
Key points (text checked on 19 October 2026)
- A fixed-term contract must be in writing, cannot exceed two years and can be renewed only twice; without a written contract it is presumed open-ended.
- The legal working week is 40 hours; overtime carries premiums of 10 to 100%.
- Annual leave is 2.5 days per month, that is 30 days a year, including non-working days.
- Notice runs from 8 days to 3 months depending on category; severance starts after one year of service.
The employment contract
Open-ended by default. Any contract that is not a fixed-term contract, an apprenticeship contract, a qualification contract or a probationary engagement is an open-ended contract (article 19).
The fixed-term contract (articles 20 to 25):
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | writing required; otherwise presumed open-ended |
| Length | two years maximum (no limit for a contract made for a specific job, but it then cannot be renewed) |
| Renewal | twice at most with the same company; beyond that it is open-ended |
| Permanent job | a fixed-term contract cannot be used to fill a post tied to the company's normal, permanent activity |
| Formality | a fixed-term contract of more than three months must be filed with the labour inspectorate before work starts |
| End of contract | an allowance to offset job insecurity if the relationship doesn't continue, at the rate set by collective agreement or, failing that, by decree |
| Early termination | only for gross misconduct, written agreement of the parties or force majeure; otherwise damages equal to the pay up to the end date |
The renewal limits do not apply to workers hired for a day or less, seasonal workers, extra staff for a surge in activity, replacements for an employee whose contract is suspended, or sectors where open-ended contracts are not customary (list set by order of the Labour Minister).
Probation
A probationary engagement must be stipulated in writing (article 30). Its length is normally equal to the notice period, but can be extended to six months at most, renewal included, for the customs of the trade or for beginners. Work during probation is paid at the rate for the job's occupational category. If the employee keeps working after probation ends without renewal, it becomes an open-ended contract effective from the start of probation, and probation counts towards seniority.
Working time, overtime, rest
- Legal working time: normally 40 hours a week (article 131); 48 hours on farms.
- Overtime, absent a collective or company agreement (article 137):
| Hour | Minimum premium |
|---|---|
| working days, daytime, 41st to 48th hour | 10% |
| working days, daytime, beyond the 48th hour | 25% |
| working days, night | 50% |
| non-working days, daytime | 50% |
| non-working days, night | 100% |
- Weekly rest: compulsory, at least 24 hours, normally on Sunday; it cannot be replaced by an allowance (article 142).
Leave
An employee earns the right to leave after twelve months of service (article 148). It is two and a half days per month worked, that is 30 days a year, including non-working days (article 151). It rises by 2, 4 or 6 working days after 15, 20 or 25 years of service (article 154), and mothers get one extra working day, per year of service earning leave, for each child under 15 registered with civil status (article 155). Leave of fifteen days or less must be taken in one block (article 156). Special permissions for family events, up to ten days, are not deducted from leave (article 146). For public holidays, see public holidays in Mali.
Ending the contract
Notice (article 41). Ending an open-ended contract requires notice given in writing, stating the reason. Absent a collective agreement, it lasts:
| Category | Notice |
|---|---|
| staff paid by the day or week | 8 days |
| worker paid monthly | 1 month |
| supervisors and similar | 2 months |
| managers and senior staff | 3 months |
The contract can be ended without notice for gross misconduct.
Severance (article 53). After one year of continuous service, a dismissed employee is entitled to an allowance separate from notice, calculated on the monthly average of the last twelve months' pay: 20% for each of the first five years, 25% from the 6th to the 10th, 30% beyond, counting fractions of years. It is not due for gross misconduct. A collective agreement may provide higher rates. An employee who resigns after ten years of service is entitled to a "services rendered" allowance calculated the same way (article 54).
Going further
- Payroll-related charges (CFE, vocational training, youth employment tax): business taxation in Mali.
- Employees' social protection: INPS, insured card and pension.
- Hiring a foreigner: residence permit for foreigners.
- Setting up the company before hiring: API-Mali one-stop shop.
Frequently asked questions
What is the legal working time in Mali?
40 hours a week in principle, and 48 hours on farms.
How long is the notice period?
8 days for staff paid by the day or week, 1 month for monthly-paid workers, 2 months for supervisors, 3 months for managers, absent a collective agreement.
How many days of leave a year?
30 days, at two and a half days per month worked, including non-working days, with extra days for seniority.
Can a fixed-term contract be renewed?
Twice at most with the same company, for a total of two years at most, except for particular cases provided by the Code.
Official source (checked on 19 October 2026)
- General Secretariat of the Government of Mali, Labour Code 1992, consolidated up to law no. 2019-025 of 5 July 2019 (French), articles 18 to 25, 30 to 33, 41, 53, 54, 131, 137, 142, 146 and 148 to 156.