Managing Maternity & Paternity Leave in Senegal: What Employers Must Know

As an employer, how can you best manage the at-times tricky situation of parenthood at work in Senegal?

Forego the uncomfortable moments of uncertainty surrounding maternity and paternity laws and customs: in this article, our Senegal experts give you all the information you need to better understand maternity and paternity laws in Senegal.

Since laws are subject to change at any time, employers are advised to consult experts before making decisions.

What exactly are maternity and paternity leave?

Maternity and paternity leave usually represent paid time off that employees are entitled to before, upon, and after the birth of their child.

Maternity leave in Senegal

When a female employee is pregnant in Senegal, she has the right to stop working for 14 continuous weeks. This break in work is not considered a breach of her employment contract, and it includes at least 8 weeks after the birth.

The right to suspend work for up to 14 weeks also means that the employer must not require the woman to work during this time. During this period, the woman is entitled to special support to ensure her livelihood and the care needed because of her condition, in line with social security law. Any agreement that goes against these rights has no legal effect.

Extended maternity leave in Senegal

This period may be extended 3 additional weeks if there is a medically certified illness caused by the pregnancy or the birth.

While work is suspended, the employer must not dismiss the pregnant woman.

Maternity benefits in Senegal

Maternity leave benefits include different types of cash support paid before and after childbirth. These include:

• Pre-natal allowances
• Maternity allowances
• Daily maternity benefits
• Family allowances

Pre-natal allowances in Senegal

To qualify, a woman must be in one of the following situations during pregnancy:

• Unemployed but married to an insured worker
• Unmarried and employed
• Married and employed while her husband is not in paid work

In addition, eligible women must also attend three medical check-ups during pregnancy: before the third month, the sixth month, and the eighth month.

Payment is only made after a pregnancy certificate is submitted to the Social Security Fund.

The allowance is paid in 3 parts:

• An amount equal to 2 months before the third month of pregnancy
• 4 months in the sixth month
• 3 months in the eighth month.

The amount paid is not specified.

Maternity allowances in Senegal

To qualify, a woman must be in one of the following situations:

• Unemployed but married to an insured worker
• Unmarried and employed
• Married and employed while her husband is not in paid work

She must submit a birth certificate and a maternity certificate showing that the child has attended regular medical check-ups.

The allowance is paid in stages:

• An amount equal to 6 months when the child is 6 months old
• Another 6 months at 12 months
• 3 months at 18 months
• A final 3 months at 24 months

These payments cover the period from birth until the child reaches two years of age.

Daily maternity benefits in Senegal

To receive these benefits, the woman must be employed.

Payment depends on providing:

• Proof of employment
• Pregnancy certificate
• Confirmation that work has been suspended
• Proof of salary received in the month before the leave begins

Benefits are paid every 30 days or at the end of the leave.

Multiple births

In the case of multiple births, benefits are paid for each child.

Since 2009, daily maternity benefits are paid at 100% of the woman’s daily wage, including allowances linked to the nature of the work, and are paid for the full duration of maternity leave.

Family allowances in Senegal
To qualify, the worker, whether male or female, must have completed 3 consecutive months of paid work, with at least 18 working days or 120 working hours each month. For jobs with irregular or intermittent hours, this period may be spread over 2 or 3 months.

Adoption leave benefits in Senegal
Adoption leave benefits are paid under the same conditions as maternity benefits.

Payment of benefits in Senegal
All benefits are paid by the Social Security Fund, which is financed through contributions required by law, state funding, grants, donations, legacies and other sources of income.

Medical benefits in Senegal
There are no specific provisions mentioned regarding medical benefits.

Health protection in Senegal
The types of work that pregnant women are not allowed to do are to be set out by decree. No pregnant woman may be employed in work that is beyond her physical strength, involves risks or danger, or could harm her dignity because of the nature of the work or the conditions in which it is carried out.

During pregnancy, and once the employer has been informed, a woman must not be required to carry, push or pull heavy loads. This also applies during the 3 weeks after she normally returns to work following childbirth.

Labour inspectors may require medical examinations to check whether the work carried out by a female worker, even if she is not pregnant, is too demanding for her physical condition.

FAQs

Are there any special considerations for pregnant employees in Senegal?

Yes. For instance, any pregnant woman whose pregnancy is medically confirmed, or is clearly visible, may end her employment contract without notice and without paying compensation.

Can maternity leave be extended in Senegal?

Yes. It can be extended to 3 additional weeks if there is a medically certified illness caused by the pregnancy or the birth.

Law about breastfeeding

For 15 months after the birth of the child, the mother is entitled to breaks during the working day to breastfeed.

The total time for these breaks must not exceed one hour per working day. During this period, the mother may leave her job without notice and without having to pay compensation.

Paternity leave

Fathers are entitled to 1 day of paternity leave only if they are covered by the interprofessional collective agreement.

However, some companies (especially international ones) exceed this minimum, offering from 3 to 5 days to attract and retain talent, or to standardise their employee benefits across the globe.

Navigate employee leave and benefits in Senegal with Africa HR Solutions

Africa HR Solutions is your on-the-ground, 100% compliant EOR provider across 46+ African countries.  

Our expertise in local labour law helps lift the burden of compliance from our clients’ shoulders, keeping them up to code and their employees happy for greater productivity.

Find out more about how Africa HR Solutions can help you here.