Remote’s guide to employing in

Uganda
uganda flag

Make employment in Uganda easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Uganda, all in one easy-to-use platform.

  • Capital City

    Kampala

  • Currency

    Ugandan shilling (Sh, UGX)

  • Languages

    English and Swahili

  • Population size

    48,582,334

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor Management

Facts & Stats

Uganda Map Illustration
  • Capital City

    Kampala

  • Currency

    Ugandan shilling (Sh, UGX)

  • Languages

    English and Swahili

  • Population size

    48,582,334

  • Ease of doing business

    Medium

  • Cost of living index

    N/A

  • Payroll frequency

    Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    18%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    2.9% (2020)

Uganda is famous for its cultural diversity, inredible wildlife, mineral wealth, and rich biodiversity. Uganda is a landlocked country in the East of Africa and it is home to the world’s largest primate population, 1,066 bird species, and massive wildlife reserves that draw over 1.25 million visitors to the pearl of Africa every year.

The country’s capital city of Kampala is a burgeoning African metropolis with an array of modern skyscrapers contrasting with areas of more traditional huts and high-density village life. The capital is a feast for the eyes with a chaotic mix of intense traffic and signs of both extreme wealth and generational poverty, which is broadly reflective of the country’s journey since gaining independence from the UK in 1962.

Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world and this represents an opportunity and a challenge. A significant proportion of Ugandans from the ages of 18-30 are unemployed, but global companies can find a groundswell of qualified talent, many with experience working for multinational firms in the resources industry. There is also a strong entrepreneurial spirit developing in Uganda led by the highly ambitious younger generation.

Grow your team in Uganda with Remote

Looking to employ workers in Uganda? Companies hiring in Uganda must either own a local legal entity or work with a global employment platform like Remote that can legally provide employment services in the country.

Remote can employ team members in Uganda and keep you compliant at all times. Remote can hire, onboard, and pay your Uganda team so you don't have to set up local HR services in the region. Remote also makes it easy to pay contractors in Uganda. Sign up now to get started or talk to an expert for more details.

Risks of misclassification

Uganda, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Uganda may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.

Employing in Uganda

Provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights are spelled out in Uganda’s 1995 Constitution and the Employment Act of 2006, both of which guarantee equal work for equal pay and protections against discrimination based on age, religion, gender expression, and race.

Common questions that could come up during the hiring process will likely cover topics like 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 Uganda.

13 Public holidays

Jan
Monday, January 1, 20241New Year's Day
Friday, January 26, 20242NRM Liberation Day
Mar
Friday, March 8, 20243Women's Day
Friday, March 29, 20244Good Friday
Apr
Monday, April 1, 20245Easter Monday
Wednesday, April 10, 20246Eid al-Fitr (Tentative Date)
May
Wednesday, May 1, 20247Labor Day
Jun
Monday, June 3, 20248Martyrs' Day
Sunday, June 9, 20249National Heroes' Day
Sunday, June 16, 202410Eid al-Adha (Tentative Date)
Oct
Wednesday, October 9, 202411Independence Day
Dec
Wednesday, December 25, 202412Christmas Day
Thursday, December 26, 202413Boxing Day

Want to see and manage all holidays? Sign up for our free HRIS!

Effortless HR in Uganda: Take the Tour

Seamlessly Manage Your Workforce, from First Hire to Final Paycheck

Competitive benefits package in Uganda

At Remote, we’re passionate about helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in developing globally competitive benefits programs. This means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive, and your company has the localized expertise needed to attract and keep the best global talent.

Our benefits packages in Uganda are tailored to fulfill the local needs of employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance

  • Dental Insurance

  • Vision Insurance

  • Mental Health Support

  • Pension or 401(K)

  • Life and Disability Insurance

Taxes in Uganda

Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Uganda.

  • 10%

    Social security

Types of leave

Workers who’re engaged for at least 16 hours per week are entitled to 21 work days of paid leave every year, provided they’ve been employed for at least 12 months. Employees who meet these conditions can take seven days off for every four months of continuous employment.

Employment termination

Termination process

An employer can terminate the employment by issuing notice of termination or making a payment in lieu of the notice. An employer must provide valid reasons for termination. Prior to termination, a fair hearing explaining the termination and allowing an employee to explain themselves should be held.

Notice period

The minimum notice periods for both the employer and the employee under the law are:

  • No notice period for service of less than 6 months, unless there’s a probationary period. During the probation period, the employment may be terminated by either the employer or the employee with at least 14 days notice in writing or by the employer with at least 7 days payment in lieu of notice;

  • 2 weeks for service of more than 6 months but less than 1 year;

  • 1 month for service of more than 12 months but less than 5 years;

  • 2 months for service of more than 5 years but less than 10 years;

  • 3 months for service of 10 years or more.

Severance pay

Except where an employee is dismissed summarily, at termination of employment lasting at least 6 months, an employee is entitled to severance pay and payment in lieu of benefits not taken.

Probation periods

Limited to 6 months. This period can only be extended for a further maximum period 6 months with the employee's consent.

Fair Pricing in Uganda

Employer of Record

Hire and pay your global team

Starting at $599/month

for annual plans

Top features

  • Satisfaction guaranteed

  • No deposits or hidden fees

  • Zero onboarding or offboarding fees

  • Compliant equity incentives support including withholding and reporting

  • Built-in security and compliance

  • Fast onboarding (average 2-3 days)

  • Flexible, localized benefits

Contractor Management

Compliantly onboard and pay contractors

$29

per contractor/month

Sign up

Top features

  • Only pay for contractors you actively work with

  • Work with contractors in 200+ countries

  • Create, edit, and sign tailored, localized contracts

  • Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay

  • Transparent payments with complete visibility

Remote Payroll

Consolidate your multi-country payroll

$50

per employee/month

Top features

  • Reduce costs by centralizing payroll management

  • Ensure local compliance for every country

  • Direct support from in-house local payroll experts

  • Accurate, on-time, compliant payroll to level-up your employee experience

  • Tax and labor authority reporting handled for you

HR Management

Manage all of your employees in one place

Free
Sign up

Top features

  • Guided onboarding and offboarding

  • Employee profile and document management

  • Time and attendance (time off and tracking)

  • Expense management and reimbursement

  • Employee self-serve on the platform and mobile app