Formerly known as Upper Volta, Burkina Faso gained its name from combining Burkina meaning “free man” and Faso, “land.” Two well-known aspects of the country’s culture are masks and dancing. The masks are used in performing rites and rituals as part of worshipping their gods in the village. Different dances are used to show people that the spirits have blessed the village.
The economy of Burkina Faso relies mainly on agriculture with industry and services making up a smaller fraction of their productivity. A banking industry also plays a key role in enhancing the economic growth of the country. The industry is highly concentrated with only three banks holding 60% of its total financial sector. Although most of its citizens are yet to benefit from the gains made, good macroeconomic management with huge gold and cotton exports have ensured growth in the country at a rate of 5% over the last five years. Unfortunately, it does still have a relatively weak legal system, making it hard to protect personal property.
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.
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.
