Employment
A 1995 labour code largely displaced by economic collapse
The Labour Code of 1995 sets contract, hours and termination rules, but salary non-payment across the public sector and the collapse of formal employment dominate practice.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Labour offices and the labour divisions of the courts, functioning unevenly.
- Deadline — 1 year to bring a labour claim where the courts function
- Deadline — 30 days' notice for indefinite contracts
Governing law
- Labour Code, Law 5 of 1995
- Civil Service Law 19 of 1991
- Social Insurance Law 26 of 1991
In practice
The 1995 Labour Code is a conventional Arab labour statute providing a forty-eight hour week, annual leave and end-of-service benefits, and it remains formally in force. The practical reality is that public sector salaries have gone unpaid or partly paid across large parts of the country for years following the division of the central bank between Sanaa and Aden, and most employment is informal. Statements about Yemeni employment rights should distinguish clearly between the code's provisions and their enforceability, which is why this is marked research.