Cameroon Labour Code: key articles and official PDF

The Cameroon Labour Code is Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992: 177 articles in 11 titles, still in force in 2026, and the text can be downloaded as a PDF from FAOLEX, the FAO legal database. The government has started a revision, but no new code has been enacted. This guide gives, topic by topic, the article numbers employers consult most, then the implementing texts and verified reforms. Updated 5 November 2026.

At a glance:

• Text: Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992, which repealed the 1974 code (article 176).
• Fixed-term contract: 2 years maximum; a single renewal for a Cameroonian national, then it becomes open-ended (article 25).
• Probation: in writing, 6 months maximum including renewal, 8 months for managers (article 28).
• Working hours: 40 hours a week outside agriculture (article 80).
• Paid leave: 1.5 working days per month of actual service (article 89).
• Disputes: conciliation before the labour inspector is compulsory (article 139).

Downloading the Cameroon Labour Code as a PDF

The 1992 law was published in the Official Gazette in French and English (article 177). Online, the most accessible copy is the PDF hosted by FAOLEX, which reproduces the Droit-Afrique layout (31 pages, in French). This copy has no official status: in litigation, cite the version published in the Official Gazette. It does not include the implementing texts (orders and decrees), which nonetheless set many amounts and durations: notice, severance pay, overtime and the SMIG (minimum wage).

The 11 titles of the Cameroon Labour Code

The code applies to any contract performed in Cameroon, wherever it was signed (article 24). It excludes civil servants, judges, the military and other staff governed by a statute (article 1).

Hiring under the Cameroon Labour Code

Fixed-term, open-ended and written contracts

A fixed-term contract (CDD) may not exceed two years; it can be renewed, but only once with the same company for a Cameroonian worker, after which the relationship becomes open-ended (article 25). Replacement of an absent worker, occasional peaks and seasonal work follow separate rules (article 25, paragraph 4). The contract must be in writing if it exceeds three months or requires the employee to leave their usual residence, and a copy goes to the labour inspector (article 27).

Foreign employees

A foreign worker’s contract must be approved (visa) by the minister in charge of labour before work starts; without approval, it is void. Two months of silence from the administration counts as approval (article 27). Renewal also requires approval (article 25).

Probation, internal rules, discipline

• Probation: in writing, six months at most including renewal, eight months for managers; continuing beyond it makes the hire permanent from the start of probation (article 28). It can end without notice or compensation (article 43).
• Internal rules: submitted to staff representatives for an opinion and to the labour inspector for approval before taking effect (article 29).
• Sanctions: fines are prohibited; suspension is limited to eight working days, notified in writing with reasons, and reported to the inspector within 48 hours (article 30).
• Non-compete: allowed in two cases only, within 50 km and for one year at most (article 31).

Ending a contract under the Cameroon Labour Code

The amounts come from orders No. 015 and No. 016/MTPS/SG/CJ of 26 May 1993: notice ranges from 15 days to 4 months depending on category and length of service, and severance pay from 20% to 40% of average monthly salary per year, depending on the band. Details and worked examples are in our guide to severance pay in Cameroon.

Wages, working hours and leave in the Cameroon Labour Code

Paying wages

Equal work means equal pay, regardless of origin, sex, age, status or religion (article 61). The SMIG is set by decree (article 62). Wages are paid at least monthly, no later than eight days after the end of the month, with an advance possible at fifteen days (article 68). The employer hands over an individual payslip, and a “full and final settlement” statement cannot be held against the employee (article 69). Wage claims are time-barred after three years (article 74). Current amounts: our page on the Cameroon SMIG 2026.

Working time and rest

• 40 hours a week outside agriculture; 2,400 hours a year in agriculture, within a limit of 48 hours a week (article 80).
• Night work: between 10 pm and 6 am (article 81).
• Weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, in principle on Sunday, never replaced by a payment (article 88).

Overtime premiums are set by Decree No. 95/677/PM of 18 December 1995, issued under article 80.

Leave and maternity

Employees earn 1.5 working days of paid leave per month of actual service, plus up to ten days a year of paid special leave for family events (article 89); see our guide to leave management in Cameroon. Maternity leave lasts fourteen weeks, starting four weeks before the expected date of birth, with a daily allowance paid by the CNPS (article 84). Mothers are entitled to one hour a day of nursing breaks for fifteen months (article 85). The minimum working age is fourteen, unless an exemption applies (article 86).

Health, monitoring and staff representation

• Medical service compulsory in every company (article 98); medical check before hiring and follow-up throughout the career (article 100).
• Establishment declaration to the labour inspectorate on creation, restart, change or closure (article 114); periodic workforce declaration (article 115).
• Employer register kept up to date at the place of work (article 116).
• Labour inspectors: access to premises without notice, day or night (article 108), and reports that stand as evidence (article 109).
• Staff representatives compulsory from 20 workers, two-year term (article 122), with up to fifteen paid hours a month (article 124).

Disputes and penalties

Before going to court, the employee or employer must ask the labour inspectorate to settle the dispute amicably (article 139); without a record of failed conciliation, the claim is inadmissible (article 140). Breaches are punished by fines: FCFA 100,000 to 1,000,000, for example for internal rules, weekly rest, leave or the employer register (article 167), and FCFA 20,000 to 1,500,000 for wage payment or maternity protection (article 168).

Implementing texts of the Cameroon Labour Code and reforms

On 22 September 2026, the committee for consultation and monitoring of social dialogue made the revision of the Cameroon Labour Code its main topic. At the date of this update, no new text has been adopted: the 1992 law and its implementing texts remain the reference.

Employer checklist

1. Written contracts for fixed-term contracts over three months and for any probation, copy to the inspectorate.
2. Prior approval for every foreign worker’s contract.
3. Internal rules approved by the inspector, employer register up to date.
4. Monthly pay by the 8th of the following month, payslip for every employee.
5. Staff representatives elected from 20 employees.
6. Employee registration and CNPS Cameroon filings.

An HRIS keeps these deadlines under control: end of probation, fixed-term renewals, leave entitlements, payslips. See Socium HR and payroll software, aligned with the Cameroon Labour Code, or book a demo.

See also: employment contract in Cameroon and resignation letter.

Frequently asked questions

Which Cameroon Labour Code is in force in 2026?

Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992. A revision is under way, but no new code had been enacted as at 5 November 2026.

Where can I find the Cameroon Labour Code as a PDF?

On FAOLEX (faolex.fao.org), which hosts the text of the 1992 law. The authoritative version remains the Official Gazette.

How long can a fixed-term contract last in Cameroon?

Two years at most, renewable; for a Cameroonian worker, only one renewal with the same company, after which it becomes open-ended (article 25).

What is the maximum probation period?

Six months including renewal, eight months for managers, and probation must be in writing (article 28).

What are the legal working hours under the Cameroon Labour Code?

40 hours a week outside agriculture; 2,400 hours a year in agriculture, within a limit of 48 hours a week (article 80).

How many days of leave a year?

1.5 working days per month of actual service, i.e. 18 working days for twelve months, before the increases provided in article 90.

Does the Cameroon Labour Code apply to civil servants?

No: civil servants, judges, the military and staff under a statute are excluded (article 1). Contract staff of the State may fall under it.

What should an employee do in a dispute with an employer?

First ask the labour inspectorate of the place of work for conciliation (article 139), then go to court with the record (article 140).

Key takeaways

• The Cameroon Labour Code is Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992, still in force.
• Amounts (notice, severance, overtime, SMIG) are in the implementing orders and decrees.
• Main checkpoints: written contracts, approval of foreign contracts, probation, working hours, leave, staff representatives.

To move from the text to the payslip, see also our net salary calculation for Cameroon.