Morocco (MA)
Morocco is a gateway between Europe and Africa — a kingdom of extraordinary diversity combining ancient imperial cities (Marrakech, Fez, Meknes, Rabat), dramatic Atlas Mountain ranges, Sahara Desert dunes, Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, and a growing cosmopolitan expat scene.
Employment Rights
Sick leave, dismissal protection and red flags in Morocco.
Morocco's employment law is governed by the Code du Travail (Labour Code) — Law 65-99, enacted 2004, with subsequent amendments. The Code applies to all employees working in Morocco, including foreign nationals. It covers: working hours, minimum wage, annual leave, sick leave, maternity and paternity leave, dismissal procedures, and social security. Enforcement: the Inspection du Travail (labour inspectorate) handles workplace complaints. Disputes: Tribunal du Travail (Labour Court) for unresolved matters. The CNSS (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale) administers social security contributions. Foreign employees have the same rights as Moroccan employees under the Code du Travail.
Sick leave
Rules: Salaried employees are entitled to paid sick leave under the Code du Travail. The employer pays the employee's salary during sick leave. CNSS reimburses the employer 50% of the daily wage (Indemnités Journalières) from day 4 of incapacity, after a 3-day qualifying period (délai de carence). Eligibility for CNSS sick benefit: at least 54 days of contributions in the preceding 6 months.
Doctor note: A medical certificate (certificat médical d'incapacité de travail / Arrêt de travail) from a licensed doctor is required from day 1 for most employment contracts. The certificate must be submitted to the employer within 48 hours of the first day of absence. Some contracts specify even stricter notification requirements — check your contract. The doctor issues both an employer copy and an CNSS copy.
Employer pay: Employer pays full salary during sick leave. CNSS reimburses 50% of daily wage to the employer from day 4 (after 3-day délai de carence). Total duration: employer must pay salary; CNSS supports up to 52 weeks. After 52 weeks: long-term illness procedures (maladie de longue durée) apply.
Long-term: After 52 weeks of continuous sick leave: employee may be declared permanently incapacitated (invalidité permanente). CNSS pays an invalidity pension (pension d'invalidité) equal to 50% of reference salary if the employee has contributed for at least 1,080 days. If the illness is occupational (accident du travail or maladie professionnelle), different higher rates apply.
Dismissal protection
Law: Code du Travail Article 34–37 and 62–89. Individual dismissal (licenciement) requires a legitimate reason: economic reasons (motifs économiques), or disciplinary reasons (faute grave, faute sérieuse). Dismissal without valid cause: employer must pay: notice pay (indemnité de préavis), severance pay (indemnité de licenciement — 96 hours of pay per year of service for the first 5 years; increasing formula thereafter), and potentially damages (dommages et intérêts). Collective redundancies: separate procedure involving staff representatives, Inspection du Travail, and government approval.
Deadline to sue: Wrongful dismissal claims are filed at the Tribunal du Travail. The general prescriptive period for employment claims under the Code du Travail: 2 years from the triggering event. However, it is strongly advisable to contest wrongful dismissal within 3 months while evidence is fresh and Inspection du Travail mediation is still useful.
Probation
The période d'essai (probation period) is defined in the contract and Code du Travail. Legal maximum: 3 months for executives and senior staff (cadres); 1.5 months for employees (employés); 15 days for workers/operatives (ouvriers). Renewable once for the same duration. During probation: either party can terminate without notice, without compensation, and without needing to state reasons. Important: ensure your contract explicitly states the probation duration. After probation: full employment protection applies.
Notice periods
Statutory minimum notice (Préavis): less than 1 year service = 8 days; 1–5 years service = 1 month; over 5 years = 2 months. For executives (cadres): typically 1–3 months as specified in contract (often above statutory minimum). Payment in lieu (PILN — indemnité compensatrice de préavis) is allowed. Employer must provide notice in writing. Unjustified failure to give proper notice: employer owes indemnité de préavis.
Working time
Max hours: 44 hours per week (8 hours per day, 6 days per week) for most sectors. Some sectors have 40-hour week. Ramadan: working hours reduced by 1 hour per day by law (44 hours → approximately 39 hours per week during Ramadan). Rest day: one full rest day per week (most employers: Sunday, though the law does not mandate Sunday specifically). Daily rest: 11 hours minimum consecutive rest between working days.
Min rest: 11 consecutive hours between working days. 24 consecutive hours weekly rest minimum. Meal breaks: at least 30 minutes for shifts exceeding 6 consecutive hours. Night work (travail de nuit): any work between 21:00–05:00. Night work premiums and specific protections apply.
Overtime: Any hours beyond 44/week (or contractually agreed maximum) count as overtime (heures supplémentaires). Premium rates: +25% of hourly rate for first 2 overtime hours per week; +50% for subsequent hours; +100% for work on statutory rest day or public holiday. Overtime must be authorised by the employer and cannot be systematically imposed. Compensatory rest (récupération) can substitute monetary premium with employer/employee agreement.
Vacation
Minimum annual leave: 18 days per year (1.5 days per month worked). Increases by 1.5 days per 5 years of service: 6 years = 21 days; 11 years = 24 days; 16 years = 27 days; maximum 30 days at 21+ years. Plus 13 official public holidays. Leave scheduling: employer sets leave schedule; employee must take leave (cannot convert to cash except upon termination). Unused leave: must be taken within the same year or carried forward by agreement. No national paid leave bank equivalent.
Anti-discrimination
The Code du Travail prohibits discrimination in: hiring, assignment, salary, training, promotion, and dismissal. Prohibited grounds: sex, origin, disability, union affiliation, and religion. However, enforcement mechanisms are weak and cultural discrimination exists. Gender equality: progressive legislation but significant pay gap in practice. CNSS and Inspection du Travail can investigate discrimination complaints. Disabled workers: quota system requires companies with 50+ employees to have 7% disabled workers — rarely enforced in practice.
Contract red flags
- !No written contract — verbal employment is legally recognised under Moroccan law but practically dangerous; insist on written CDI or CDD.
- !Contract entirely in Arabic without French version — ask for bilingual contract; you should understand every clause you sign.
- !No mention of CNSS registration — employer legally obliged to register you within 3 days; verify your CNSS number appears in writing.
- !Salary stated below SMIG (MAD 3,422.72/month from January 1, 2026 — Decree No. 2-25-983; was MAD 3,111 in 2024; +4.8% increase applied Jan 2026) — illegal; red flag for employer compliance generally
- !No mention of annual leave entitlement — Code du Travail applies by default but should be stated explicitly.
- !Trial period exceeding legal maximum (3 months for cadres; 1.5 months for employés) — void and unenforceable.
- !Clause requiring you to pay back training costs if you leave within X years — be cautious of large amounts; such clauses are valid in Morocco but should be negotiated carefully.
- !No work permit (autorisation de travail) obtained by employer before contract — you could be working illegally; verify ANAPEC approval exists.
- !Confidentiality clauses that appear excessively broad — consult a lawyer for complex agreements.
- !Salary in foreign currency only without MAD equivalent — creates currency risk; ensure contract states MAD amount.
Employment Rights
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