Uganda
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
Facts & Stats
- 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
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 localised expertise needed to attract and keep the best global talent.
Our benefits packages in Uganda are tailored to fulfil 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 years. 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 US$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, localised benefits
Contractor Management
Compliantly onboard and pay contractors
US$29
per contractor/month
Start free trialTop features
Only pay for contractors you actively work with
Work with contractors in 200+ countries
Create, edit, and sign tailored, localised contracts
Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay
Transparent payments with complete visibility
Global Payroll
Consolidate your multi-country payroll
US$50
per employee/month
Top features
Reduce costs by centralising 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 labour authority reporting handled for you
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