Employee rights in Cambodia — hours, leave, NSSF, severance

In 3 bullets

• 48 hours per week standard (8 hrs/day, 6 days/week), overtime paid +50% on weekdays and +100% at night, on Sundays and public holidays.
• Paid leave: 1.5 working days per month worked = 18 days per year minimum (Article 166). Plus around 22 public holidays set by annual royal decree.
• NSSF (Cambodian social security): mandatory registration by the employer within 30 days, health + workplace accident contributions paid by the employer, granting access to care in contracted hospitals.

Working hours

General regime

• 8 hours per day maximum, 48 hours per week maximum, spread over 6 days (Articles 137-139).
• Weekly rest of 24 consecutive hours, in principle on Sunday (Article 146).
• For certain sectors (hospitality, healthcare, security), adjustments exist by collective agreement.

Overtime

Legal cap: 2 hours of overtime per day, except by exceptional authorisation from the MoLVT.

Paid leave

Article 166 sets 1.5 working days of paid leave per month worked, that is 18 days per year for a full year. This floor is common to all employees, workers or executives.

• Leave must be taken within the year following its accrual.
• On departure, leave not taken is paid out with the final settlement.
• A seniority ≥ 3 years grants entitlement to +1 additional day per 3-year period (often capped at 6 additional days).

Public holidays

The official public holidays calendar is published every year by royal decree (generally in November for the following year). It counts around 22 days: International New Year, Khmer New Year (3 days around mid-April), Visak Bochea, Pchum Ben (3 days, lunar dates), Fête des Eaux / Water Festival (3 days, October / November), royal birthdays, Labour Day, etc.

See the consolidated calendar for dates of the current year.

Sick leave

• No legal floor in the Labour Law — each collective bargaining agreement or individual contract sets its own rules.
• Common practice: 1 to 5 days paid at 100%, then degressive payment or NSSF cover if incapacity exceeds one week.
• A medical certificate is required from the 2nd day of absence in most companies.

Maternity leave

Article 182 grants entitlement to 90 days of maternity leave (before and after delivery), paid at 50% of salary by the employer — provided the employee has at least one year of seniority.

• The employee cannot be dismissed during the leave.
• Breastfeeding hours (1 hr/day for one year) are guaranteed on return.
• Some collective bargaining agreements raise this to 100% or extend the duration.

NSSF — Social security

Regime and coverage

The National Social Security Fund (បេឡាជាតិសន្តិសុខសង្គម) manages three branches:

1. Workplace accidents and occupational diseases (Employment Injury) — since 2008.
2. Healthcare (Health Care) — since 2016.
3. Pension scheme (Pension) — gradual rollout since 2022.

Contributions

• Workplace accidents: 0.8% of salary, paid by the employer.
• Healthcare: 2.6% of salary (in practice often 1.3% employer + 1.3% employee depending on agreements).
• Pension: 4% of salary (2% employer + 2% employee) for companies covered by the rollout.

Contribution cap: 1,200,000 KHR of monthly salary (≈ 295 USD at current rate).

Registration

The employer must:

1. Register with the NSSF within 30 days of hiring the first employee.
2. Declare each employee and pay contributions monthly.
3. Hand the employee their NSSF card, which grants access to contracted hospitals and clinics (list at nssf.gov.kh).

Seniority indemnity (seniority indemnity)

Since the amendment to the Labour Law that came into force in 2019, the historical severance pay has been replaced by a seniority indemnity paid every six months by the employer, regardless of the reason for contract termination.

• Amount: 15 days of salary per six-month period worked (i.e. ≈ 1 month per year).
• Payment: automatic, every six months.
• On termination, only the balance of the current six-month period is due in addition.

For contracts signed before 2019, transitional rules apply — consult a lawyer or the MoLVT.

Dismissal

Valid grounds

The UDC (open-ended contract) can be terminated by the employer for:

• Serious misconduct by the employee (theft, violence, abandonment of post, etc.).
• Valid cause related to the employee’s aptitude or behaviour, or an economic reason (restructuring, closure).

Without valid grounds, termination is wrongful and exposes the employer to damages awarded by the Arbitration Council.

Notice period

(Article 75)

Indemnities

On termination of a UDC, the employee receives:

1. The balance of the current six-month seniority period (see above).
2. Paid leave not taken.
3. In case of wrongful termination: damages equivalent to the harm suffered (often ≈ one times seniority).

Common pitfalls

FAQ

Is the 13th-month bonus mandatory?

No — the Labour Law does not provide for a 13th-month bonus. It is contractual: standard practice at multinationals and large employers, not guaranteed at small local entities.

What minimum wage outside textile?

None. Only the textile / footwear / leather goods sector has a statutory minimum wage (208 USD/month in 2024). For other sectors, the salary is unregulated — see employment contract.

Can I combine salaried employment and freelance work?

Yes, subject to a non-compete clause or exclusivity clause in the contract. Freelance income triggers a separate declarative obligation — see tax residency and salary tax ToS.

Does French social security continue?

If you are seconded within the meaning of French social security (less than 3 years, renewable once), yes — your French employer continues to pay URSSAF contributions and you remain affiliated. Otherwise you are an expat and switch to the Cambodian NSSF + optionally the Caisse des Français de l’Étranger (CFE) + private health insurance.

What to do if the employer doesn’t pay indemnities on departure?

File with the Ministry of Labour (MoLVT) for conciliation (free, a few weeks), then in case of failure with the Arbitration Council — fast and well-established route for wage disputes.