As of March 2024, the estimated population of Burkina Faso is 23.2 million.
The currency in Burkina Faso is the West African CFA franc (XOF). The currency symbol is Fr.
Employees in Burkina Faso are considered to be employed under a permanent labor contract when the term of the contract is not defined. Such contracts can be terminated by either party at will, subject to a written notice given by the party initiating the termination. Employees who are non-nationals and subject to visa requirements require mandatory approval by the competent services of the Ministry of Labor for an indefinite-term employment contract.
Burkina Faso's labor code acknowledges employment contracts in the form of written or oral agreements. A written employment contract must be in the local language, spelling out the terms of the employee’s compensation, benefits, and termination requirements. Offer letters and employment contracts in Burkina Faso must always state the salary and other compensation amounts in West African CFA francs rather than a foreign currency. While it is not necessary to conclude contracts for an indefinite duration in writing, in cases of labor agreements with a probation period, a written contract is compulsory. Any clause that prohibits an employee from carrying out any work after the termination of an employment contract is considered abusive, and null and void in case of breach of contract by the employer. Any restriction on duration or geographical range that is not justified or essential for the safeguard of the employer's interests constitutes an abusive obstacle to the free exercise of employee's professional activity.
Temporary or casual workers are employees who are provided by a "tâcheron" who recruits employees for an employer in exchange for a lump sum. The temporary job contracts are submitted on the initiative of the entrepreneur to the labor inspectorate of the jurisdiction and the institution responsible for social security. There is no documented limit for the duration of temporary employment contracts. A temporary work contractor serves as an intermediary for an individual employee within an organization. On November 27, 2025, a draft Labor Code was adopted; however, as of April 2026, it has not yet been enacted. Under the new Code, temporary workers must be paid the same remuneration as an employee in the user company holding the same position. Furthermore, employers with direct or indirect interests in a placement or temporary work agency are prohibited from entering into a placement contract with that agency.
The probationary period may be renewed once and for the same duration which varies according to the category of employees: 8 days for employees with fixed hourly wages 1 month for employees other than executives 3 months for executive employees (executives, supervisors, technicians and similar staff)
In Burkina Faso, the regular working hours are 40 hours a week. This regulation applies to all legal work assigned to employees or unskilled workers, male or female, of any age, working temporarily, by task or by piece in public or private institutions. In the farms, the work hours are 2,400 hours the year.
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Employees are entitled to 30 days of paid annual leave, accrued at the rate of 2.5 days per month. The duration of leave is increased by 2 days after 20 years of continuous service, by 4 days after 25 years of service, and by 6 days after 30 years of service. The annual leave may be taken all at once or broken into parts such that at least one part is 15 days long. Employees must be paid their wages for annual leave in advance. Employees must also be paid for their remaining annual leave at the time of termination of their contract.
Employees are entitled to sick leave as follows: For less than 1 year of service, the paid sick leave is 2 months (1 month with full pay and the next month on half pay) For 1 to 5 years of service, the paid sick leave is 4 months (1 month with full pay and the next 3 months on half pay) For six to 10 years of service, the paid sick leave is 5 months (2 months with full pay and 3 months on half pay) For 11 to 15 years of service, the paid sick leave is 6 months (3 months on full pay and 3 months on half pay) For more than 15 years of service, the paid sick leave is 8 months (4 months on full pay and 4 months on half pay)
Maternity leave is for fully paid by the employer and Social Security System for up to 14 weeks. The leave starts at the earliest at 8 weeks and the latest 4 weeks prior to the expected date of delivery, regardless of whether the child was born alive or not. The employer cannot, even with the worker’s agreement, employ the woman during the first 6 weeks after childbirth. Maternity leave can be extended by 3 weeks in case of complications related to pregnancy or confinement. Employed expectant mothers or pregnant spouses of an employee are entitled to a monthly pre-natal allowance of XOF 1,500 (West African CFA Franc) per month of pregnancy.
The Inter-professional collective agreement of 1974 provides 3 days of paid paternity leave on the birth of a child. The labor code provides for 10 days of paid exceptional leave in case of family events.
In Burkina Faso, an indefinite-term employment contract can be terminated at will by either party by giving a written notice. When serving notice of dismissal, the term of the notice deadline is: 8 days for employees paid on an hourly or daily basis 3 months for managers, supervisors, technicians, and equivalent positions 1 month for all other employees paid on a monthly basis The notice period becomes effective from the date of delivery of the notice. If an open-ended employment contract is terminated without notice, or before the full notice period is completed, the party initiating the termination must pay the other party compensation in place of the required notice. Employment contracts can be terminated without notice in case of gross misconduct, subject to the assessment of the competent court regarding the seriousness of the misconduct. Group dismissals or layoffs require a minimum 30-day notice period. In such situations, the labor code requires that employees with the lowest level of skills and experience, and those hired last, be dismissed first. If the economic situation for a company improves within a 2-year period, released employees must be rehired.
Grounds for justified dismissal, which must be made in writing, include gross negligence, theft, or intentional damage to company property. Dismissal for all other reasons incurs mandatory severance payments. An employee is entitled to severance pay upon continuous employment for at least 1 year without any serious misconduct. Severance is not due if the employee permanently ceases service in order to benefit from the statutory retirement allowance. Severance pay corresponds to a percentage of the overall monthly wages per year of service, pro-rated, as follows: 25% per year for the first 5 years 30% per year for the subsequent 5 years 40% per year after the 10th year The action for payment of severance pay, end-of-contract compensation, and damages is subject to a limitation period of 5 years after the termination of the employment relationship.
In Burkina Faso, the legal provision on retirement pension is contained within the Social Security Law of 2006. Blue-collar workers or voluntarily insured persons must be at least 56 years old to qualify for an old-age pension. The entitlement age is 58 for white-collar workers, 60 for supervisors and managers, and 63 for doctors and university teachers. In addition to this age requirement, they must have at least 180 months (15 years) of coverage and must have ceased all paid employment. If a pension recipient resumes paid employment, their pension is suspended by the public social security institution. Early retirement is possible at the age of 50 years if the insured is either physically or mentally disabled and has ceased all economic activity, and at least 180 monthly contributions have been paid. The benefits paid for pension are 2% of the insured person’s average monthly earnings in the five best years multiplied by the number of years of contribution up to 80%. The minimum pension is 84% of the legal monthly minimum wage. The legal minimum monthly salary is XOF 45,000. Depending on the amount, the pension is paid monthly or quarterly.
The Social Security scheme of Burkina Faso covers benefits for survivors of the deceased insured person. The deceased must have paid at least 180 contributions to Social Security to be eligible. If the deceased had less than 180 months of coverage and did not qualify for a disability pension at the time of death, the survivors are entitled to a survivor settlement. A lump sum of 20% of the deceased person’s average monthly covered earnings in the five best years of coverage is paid for each 6-month period of coverage. The spouse receives benefits of 50% of the old-age or disability pension the deceased received or was entitled to receive. If there is more than one widow(er), the pension is split equally. Depending on the amount, the pension is paid monthly or quarterly and ceases completely on remarriage. Orphans receive 50% of the old-age pension or 40% of the disability pension, and the benefit is split equally among eligible orphans. If there are no survivors, 25% of the old-age or 10% of the disability pension the deceased received or was entitled to receive is paid to each eligible parent. All survivor benefits combined must not exceed 100% of the old-age or disability pension the deceased received or was entitled to receive. Eligible survivors also receive survivor benefits under the work injury program if the insured employee dies due to a work-related injury or disease. A surviving spouse gets 50% of the pension, and a child gets 40% of the pension. The total combined benefit cannot exceed 85% of the pension to which the insured would have been entitled in the event of total permanent disability.
The social insurance system of Burkina Faso provides an invalidity pension to insured employees. The amount of pension is 2% of the insured's average monthly covered earnings in the 5 highest years of contributions for each year of contributions. The minimum monthly disability pension is 84% of the legal monthly minimum wage, which is set at XOF 45,000 (West African CFA francs). The maximum monthly disability pension is 80% of the average monthly covered earnings of the insured employee in the five highest years of contributions. This amount will be increased by 50% when the incapacity forces the victim to seek the assistance of a third person. With respect to a temporary disability covered by social insurance, two-thirds (66.7%) of the average daily earnings of the insured employee in the 90 days before the month in which the disability began are paid from the day after the disability started until full recovery or certification of permanent disability. In case of a work injury, medical expenses are covered by the employer.
Residents are subject to a single tax on income earned in Burkina Faso. All income is pooled and subject to a general income tax (and applicable rate ranging from 0-25%), which is called the Unique Tax on Treatments and Salaries. Non-residents are subject to tax on Burkina Faso-source income only under two conditions: that the activities are performed in Burkina Faso and the employer is located in the country. Relief from double taxation is available through tax treaties (DTAs) to which Burkina Faso is a signatory.
A passport and visa (recommended to be obtained in advance) are required to enter the country:
Foreign employees who seek employment in Burkina Faso must obtain a work permit and a long-stay visa through their prospective employer. The employer must apply for a visa, and a company letter (stating a specific mission), and confirmation of itinerary from a travel agent must be provided. If the employer fails to apply for the visa, the worker has the right to declare the nullity of the employment contract and claim damages and interests. The work permit is valid for 3 years. Employees must also apply for a resident permit, which is a visa with a validity period exceeding 2 years.
