GhanaGhana is one of the most stable, founder-friendly hiring markets in West Africa: English as the working language, a growing tech scene in Accra, and a GMT timezone that lines up with London all day and the US East Coast every morning. The thing that surprises US founders is the pension system: it has three tiers, two of them mandatory, and there's no statutory paid sick leave to go with it.
Here's the whole picture.
Quick facts
| Ghana | |
|---|---|
| Currency | Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) |
| Standard work week | 40 hours, 5 days |
| Payroll frequency | Monthly |
| Employer statutory cost | ~13% on top of gross salary |
| Minimum wage | GHS 21.77/day |
| Probation | Up to 6 months (6 is typical) |
| Notice period | 7 days, rising to 30 at 3 years |
| 13th month pay | Not mandatory |
| Employees paid in | GHS, required by law |
First decision: contractor or employee?
Most US startups start with contractors in Ghana, and for independent professionals invoicing foreign clients on their own schedule, that structure fits.
The misclassification line is the usual one: fixed hours, exclusive work, day-to-day management by you means employee, whatever the agreement says. Ghana's Labour Act gives employees real protections (notice, leave, redundancy consultation), and a contractor who is functionally an employee accrues that liability quietly until diligence or a dispute surfaces it. When someone becomes core, convert them through an employer of record (EOR) or your own Ghanaian entity.
Paying contractors in Ghana
The compliance mechanics are straightforward:
- Collect a W-8BEN before the first payment, certifying the contractor is a non-US person, which generally means no 1099. Confirm with your accountant.
- Sign a real contract with scope, rate, IP assignment, and termination terms, drafted with Ghanaian law in mind.
- Pay in USD or GHS, their choice. Contractors can invoice in USD, and many prefer it. The pain is the corridor: international wires into Ghana are slow, cost $25-45 per transfer, and hide an FX spread in the rate, so your contractor receives less than you sent and later than you promised.
Shor pays Ghanaian contractors over local rails at a flat disclosed 2% FX margin, for $19/month per contractor. Contracts, W-8BEN collection, and invoicing are built in.
Hiring full-time employees
Employer-side statutory contributions on top of gross salary:
| Contribution | Rate (employer side) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pension (SSNIT Tier 1 + Tier 2) | 13% | Employee adds 5.5%; the combined 18.5% is split between the national scheme and a trustee-managed Tier 2 scheme |
Headline employer load: ~13% on top of gross salary. A voluntary Tier 3 exists for executive benefit structuring but isn't mandatory. PAYE income tax is withheld and filed monthly with the Ghana Revenue Authority; pension contributions are remitted to SSNIT and the Tier 2 trustee each month, and late remittance draws penalties.
Two 2026 changes to have on your radar: the national daily minimum wage rose about 9% to GHS 21.77 effective 1 January 2026, and the SSNIT maximum insurable earnings ceiling increased to GHS 69,000/month, which changes the contribution cap for high earners even though the percentage rates are unchanged. Statutory figures move yearly, so confirm current numbers with your accountant.
Employees must be paid in GHS, monthly.
Leave and benefits
- Annual leave: 15 working days
- Sick leave: no statutory paid entitlement; covered by employer policy or contract, with medical certification
- Maternity leave: 12 weeks at full pay, employer-funded
- Paternity leave: no statutory entitlement (a draft Labour Bill proposes one, but it hasn't been enacted)
- Public holidays: ~13 days, paid
Because sick pay is policy-driven, a written sick leave policy is close to expected for professional hires. Beyond statute, competitive offers in Ghana commonly add private medical insurance plus transport, housing, meal, and airtime/data allowances.
Ending employment
Ghana uses tenure-based notice:
| Tenure | Notice required |
|---|---|
| Under 3 years | 7 days |
| 3+ years | 1 month |
There's no statutory severance formula for individual dismissal, but termination still requires a fair reason and fair process: documentation, a hearing opportunity for misconduct cases, and payment in lieu where the contract permits. Redundancy is the exception, triggering mandatory consultation and negotiated severance, and mishandling it is the main source of liability. Final settlement covers accrued salary, outstanding leave pay, and pension contributions through the last day.
Documents we'll collect from your employee at onboarding
Ghana Card (national ID), TIN (tax ID from the GRA; registration can be supported), SSNIT number (or a new registration), and a Ghanaian bank account for salary.
What it costs through Shor
- Contractors: $19/month each
- Full-time employees (EOR): $299/month each, PAYE, SSNIT, and Tier 2 remittance handled
- Your own Ghanaian entity: we run payroll on top of it for less than EOR, in the same dashboard
No setup fees, no annual lock-in, and the FX margin is a flat disclosed 2%. The pricing calculator shows the full Ghana math including every statutory line.
Next steps, depending on where you are: the EOR pricing comparison puts published provider prices side by side, and EOR vs. your own entity has the breakeven math for when a local entity starts to win. To see Ghana against the rest of our coverage, the reference tables compare employer costs, notice periods, and public holidays across every country here. Already with another provider? Switching EOR providers covers the traps worth planning around.
Paying Ghana contractors in dollars instead of local currency is a separate question, and a common one: what that looks like in Ghana.
FAQ
Can I pay Ghanaian employees in USD? No. Salaries must be paid in GHS. Contractors, however, can invoice in USD, and many do.
What does an employer of record in Ghana cost? With Shor, $299/month per employee, plus the statutory employer contributions (roughly 13% of gross salary) that any employer pays. Deel and Remote charge $599-699/month for the same coverage.
How fast can someone start? Contractors: the day the contract is signed and the W-8BEN is in. Employees via EOR: typically one to two weeks, driven by SSNIT and Tier 2 registration.
Is there statutory severance in Ghana? Not for individual dismissal; there's no fixed formula. Redundancy is different: it triggers mandatory consultation and negotiated severance. Either way, due process and documentation are what keep a termination clean, so route it through your EOR before acting.