Hire employees and contractors in Mauritius
Remote’s guide to employing in Mauritius.
Capital city
Port Louis
Currency
Mauritian rupee
(¢, MUR)Population size
1,265,475
(est. 2019)Languages spoken
Mauritian Creole, French, English
Facts & Stats
Ranked as the most peaceful African nation, Mauritius fosters a prominent welfare state that offers universal healthcare, free education, and free public transport— all of which serve to make it one of Africa’s most socially advanced nations.
Capital city
Port Louis
Currency
Mauritian rupee
(¢, MUR)Languages spoken
Mauritian Creole, French, English
Population size
1,265,475 (est. 2019)
Ease of doing business
Very easy
Cost of living index
52.57 (2021)
VAT - standard rate
15%
GDP - real growth rate
3.0 (2019)
Grow your team in Mauritius with Remote
Remote currently offers contractor payment and management services in Mauritius. We are busy building our own entity in the country to provide you with best possible employment solutions for your employees.
Employing in Mauritius
Employment regulations in Mauritius are guided by principles spelled out in statutes such as:
- The Employment Relations Act
- The Employment Relations (Amendment) Act of 2019
- The Workers’ Rights Acts
These regulations define specific provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights for Mauritius’ workforce of 584,000. Employees in Mauritius enjoy protections against discrimination based on age, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, and race.
Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include the minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Mauritius.
Public holidays
Date | Holiday Name | Extra information |
|---|---|---|
| February 12 | Chinese Spring Festival | |
| January 28 | Thaipoosam Cavadee | |
| September 11 | Ganesh Chaturthi | |
| March 12 | National Day | |
| May 1 | Labour Day | |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | |
| January 2 | New Year's Day (2) | |
| January 1 | New Year's Day | |
| November 2 | Arrival of Indentured Labourers | |
| November 4 | Divali | |
| November 1 | All Saints Day | |
| April 13 | Ougadi | |
| May 14 | Eid-al-Fitr | Changes Anually |
| March 11 | Maha Shivaratree | |
| February 1 | Abolition of Slavery |
Minimum Wage
The Mauritian minimum wage is set at 2,250 rupees ($54.35) per week or 9,000 rupees ($217.40) monthly.
Payroll Cycle
For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.
A 13th month bonus is required by law in Mauritius and this is paid out in December. For workers in continuous employment with the same employer as at 31 December of that year, they are entitled to the payment of a bonus equivalent to one twelfth of their yearly earnings.
The bonus should be paid by the employer as follows:
- 75 per cent of the bonus shall be paid to the worker no later than five clear working days before 25 December of that year; and
- The balance shall be paid to no later than the last working day of the same year
A worker is regarded as an employee whose basic wage does not exceed Rs 100,000 in a month. For persons earning above Rs 100,000 in a month, the calculation of the end of year bonus is based on monthly basic salary, rather than earnings.
Competitive benefits package in Mauritius
Remote can help you develop a customized, compliant benefits package for your employees in Mauritius. If you have questions or would like to offer a custom benefit, let us know and we can help.
- Medical insurance plan
- Dental insurance plan
- Vision insurance plan
- Additional paid holidays
- Flexible work schedule
- Pension scheme
- Life insurance
- Other insurance
Taxes in Mauritius
Learn how employment taxes affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Mauritius.
Employer
6% - Pension fund (for all employees earning over MUR 50,000 per month)
2.5% - National Savings Funds (charged on salaries paid to employees, up to a ceiling of MUR 19,900)
1% - Supplementary National Savings Contribution (considered a levy, this is a flat rate calculated from the employee's basic salary, and paid by the employer only)
Employee
3% - National Pension Fund (for all employees earning over MUR 50,000 per month)
1% - National Savings Fund (charged on salaries, up to a ceiling of MUR 19,900)
Types of leave
Paid time off
After working with an employer for the first 12 months, Mauritian employees are entitled to 22 days of paid leave every year.
Public holidays
There are 16 public holidays Mauritian employees can take as paid days off. If expected to work on a public holiday, employees are entitled to double their normal wages for the first eight hours of work done before 10 p.m. and triple their normal wages for any work exceeding eight hours or lasting past the hour of 10 p.m.
Sick leave
After working for an employer for 12 months consecutively, employees are entitled to 20 days of sick leave annually, which can be accrued up to a maximum of 90 days.
Maternity leave
Female employees are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave, starting six months before delivery, and remunerated at a 100% rate if the employee has worked with the employer for 12 months consecutively. The mother must take at least seven weeks of this allotted leave after delivery of the child. In case of a stillbirth, the employee is entitled to 14 weeks’ leave on full pay.
Paternity/Parental leave
Fathers get five paid days of paternity leave off work.
Other leave
- Bereavement leave: Upon the death of an employee, the employer is mandated to issue a bereavement benefit to the employee’s spouse or whoever demonstrates that they bore the funeral expenses.
- Adoption: Female employees who’ve been engaged with the same employer for 12 months consecutively are entitled to 14 weeks of fully paid adoption leave if the latter adopts a child aged below 12 months.
Employment termination
Termination process
Employee contracts can be terminated if a just cause is established, such as dishonesty, negligence, fraud, or any other work-related offenses. Otherwise, employees must be informed in advance if the decision is business inclined.
Notice period
Mauritian employees are entitled to a minimum 30 day notice period. Longer notice periods may be stipulated in employment agreements, but this figure can not be less than 30 days. Employees who’ve been employed for three years or more are entitled to three months of advance notice.
Severance pay
Severance payments are calculated based on an employee’s tenure and the justification behind a termination.
If termination is justified because of an employee’s actions, the severance package will be equal to a quarter of a month’s wages multiplied by the number of years the employee has worked. Otherwise, for unjustified (or purely economic) terminations, the severance pay is equal to three months’ wages paid for each year the employee has served with the employer.
Probation periods
Probation periods can last anywhere from three to six months, or as long as required, depending on the length of the employment contract.
