Definitive Guide to Hiring in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Hiring in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Hiring employees compliantly in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ means doing it yourself or using an Employer of Record like Global Expansion. You should be careful using independent contractor agreements in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ so that you don’t run afoul of employment laws. To hire an employee compliantly and offer them mandatory benefits and compliant agreements, you can:

(a) Establish your own new legal entity, banking, accounting and payroll service in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌; or

(b) use an Employer of Record like Global Expansion who can handle all of the details for you.

Labor Laws in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Employment laws in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ are uniquely suited to the country’s way of life, and crucial to understand if you want to employ local talent in this country. Get the details on Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ employment laws and Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ policies here.

Employee Probation Period

Annual Leave in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Holidays in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Maternity Leave Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

• St Helena has introduced maternity leave.
• Female employees are entitled to 14 weeks maternity leave which can be taken at any time starting in the 3 months before the due date of the baby. 

Paternity Leave Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

• The father of the child, or spouse or life partner of the mother who is not the father but who will be mainly responsible for bringing up the child is entitled to Parental leave.
• Parental leave lasts 2 weeks and must be taken between the 3 months before the due date and one year after the date of the child’s birth

Sick Leave in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Working Hours in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Overtime in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Termination of Employment in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

• An employee is dismissed by his employer if:
  • the employment contract of an employee is terminated, with or without notice by his employer; or 
  • the employment contract of an employee is terminated by the employee in circumstances in which he is entitled to terminate it without notice by reason of the employer's conduct.
• Fair reasons for dismissal include
  • that the employee is not capable with reference to skill, aptitude, health or any other physical or mental quality or does not possess the academic, technical or professional qualification required to perform work of the kind which he was employed by the employer to do; 
  • that the conduct of the employee is unsatisfactory; 
  • that the employee could not continue to work in the position which he held without contravening (either on his part or on that of his employer) a duty or restriction imposed by or under any law; 
  • redundancy of the employee; 
  • retirement of the employee in accordance with the provisions contained in the contract of employment; or 
  • any other substantial reason, including expiry of a fixed term contract.

Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ Salary and Wages

• In 2010 the Social Security Ordinance was passed. 
• For the first time on St Helena some social security entitlements had a basis in law rather than policy. 
• Two benefits were established by the Ordinance, the Basic Island Pension (BIP) and Income Related Benefit (IRB). 
• The secondary legislation to support the Ordinance was passed in 2011, in the form of the Social Security Regulations. 
• Regulations made under the Ordinance also introduced a temporary Transitionally Protected award of IRB for claimants who migrated from old benefits to the new system but who would have received a lower award under the new arrangements. 
• A number of other benefits and payments are based only on policy. 
• They were not translated into law in 2011. These included Unemployment Allowance (UA), Disability Allowance (DA), Careers Allowance (CA) and Occupational Therapy payments (OT). 
• The table below sets out the main features of each benefit.

Immigration Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

• Visitors are advised that they must have the necessary visa or permits to cover all destinations they intend to travel to, including return trips through the UK, Ascension Island and/or South Africa. 
• There are no foreign embassies or consulates on St Helena that issue visas, so all necessary visas must be obtained in advance.
• Visitors to St Helena of less than six months require the following upon arrival at St Helena in order that a short-term permit can be issued:
  • Valid Medical Insurance of at least £175,000 (or equivalent) which covers emergency medical treatment including aeromedical evacuation or other means to pay for treatment to cover yourself for the duration of stay is required. 
  • Proof of a ticket for both arrival and departure
  • Payment (cash only) for the short-term permit
  • A St Helena e-Visa

• Given the remote location of St Helena Island and the single weekly flight to the Island, it is strongly recommended that you purchase travel insurance that includes both missed departure and delayed departure cover, to provide financial coverage in the event that the flight to or from St Helena is significantly delayed.

Value Added Tax (VAT) in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Payments And Invoicing

• Within 15 days of the end of each month each employer should submit to the Tax Office a statement (P6 form) showing the gross amount of income from employment paid during the preceding month and the amount of tax deducted and the amount of tax remitted to the Commissioner.
• All tax deducted by an employer from the income from employment of employees shall be remitted to the Commissioner not later than the 15th day of the month immediately following the month in which such deduction was made.
• 30 JUNE is the Submission date for Tax Returns & end of year accounts (three months after the end of the Tax Year) for self-employed individuals and companies
• 30 SEPTEMBER is the Date for payment of income Tax (three months after the submission of the Tax Return) for self-employed individuals and companies
• 31 JULY is the Submission date of Tax Return for employees

Payroll Accrual in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Payroll Accruals Additional Information

Accrued Benefits in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Why use Global Expansion to hire in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌

Establishing a branch office or subsidiary in Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ can be time-consuming, expensive and complex. With such a robust labor market in place, one must pay great attention to detail when structuring employment because Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ labor laws are complex.

The company also has a responsibility to comply with specific employment practices dictated by Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ law to maintain its good standing as an equal opportunity employer.

Global Expansion makes it easy for you to expand into Saint‌ ‌Helena‌. We'll help you hire your candidate of choice, handle HR matters and payroll, and ensure that you comply with local laws without the burden of setting up a foreign branch office or subsidiary. In addition, you'll have complete control and direction over your employees.

We enable you to stay in control of everything. Our Saint‌ ‌Helena‌ Global Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and Employer of Record (EOR) solution provides you with peace of mind to focus on running your company and the security to enter new markets.