No score
change

2024 Score

54

2022 Score

54

2020 Score

58.5

Rating

Basic Access to Decent Work

Fair
Wages

80

Decent
Working Hours

60

Employment
Security

40

Family
Responsibilities

25

Maternity
at Work

60

Safe
Work

100

Social
Security

80

Fair
Treatment

20

Child &
Forced Labour

75

Freedom of
Association

0

Fair Wages - 80

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the legislation or collective negotiation set and determine the minimum wages in the country? Yes 1 §102(f) of the Constitution of Guatemala, 1985; §103-115, 272(2), 283, and 374 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require regular and timely payment of wages? Yes 1 §88 & 90-102 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); §102 (d) of the Constitution of Guatemala; §1,2, 8, 10 of Law No. 5477
No Change
Does the law require overtime compensation to be at least 125% of the regular hourly rate? Yes 1 §121 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require any additional compensation for working on a weekly rest day? No 0 §128 & 129 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require additional compensation for night work? Yes 1 §116-117 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change

Decent Working Hours - 60

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law stipulate general weekly working hours as 48 hours or lower? Yes 1 §116, 121 & 122 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); Acuerdo Gubernativo Numero 388-2010
No Change
Does the law restrict maximum working hours, including overtime, to 56 hours per week? No 0 §122 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require a paid weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours? Yes 1 § 126 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require paid public holidays? Yes 1 § 127 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require at least three working weeks of paid annual leave? No 0 §102 (l) of the Constitution of Guatemala 1985; §130-137 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change

Employment Security - 40

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require a written employment contract or employment particulars to be given to a worker on commencement of employment? Yes 1 §25-29 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law restrict the hiring of fixed-term contract workers? No 0 §25-26 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law limit the length of the probation period, including renewals, to three months? Yes 1 §79-81 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require a 30-day notice period before employment contract termination? No 0 §78 & 83 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require severance pay at the rate of at least two weeks of wages for every year of service? No 0 § 77-82 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change

Family Responsibilities - 25

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require a four-month parental leave for parents? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require at least one week of paid paternity leave for fathers*? No 0 §61 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require flexible working arrangements* for workers with family responsibilities? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require paid nursing breaks? Yes 1 §153 & 154 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); §1-3 of the Regulation on Breastfeeding
No Change

Maternity at Work - 60

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law prohibit inquiring about pregnancy during recruitment? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require maternity leave of at least 14 weeks? No 0 §152 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be at least two-thirds (66.67%) of a worker's former wage? Yes 1 §152 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); §28 & 38 of the Decree No. 295
No Change
Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be paid through a contributory social insurance or a universal benefits system or such benefits are an employer's liability? Yes 1 §152 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); §28 & 38 of the Decree No. 295
No Change
Does the law protect workers from dismissals during or on account of pregnancy? Yes 1 §151(c) of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change

Safe Work - 100

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require employers to provide free personal protective equipment to workers? Yes 1 §197(e) of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); § 7 & 94 of the Reglamento General sobre Higiene y Seguridad en el Trabajo
No Change
Does the law require employers to train workers on health and safety Issues? Yes 1 §197 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); §5(b) of the Reglamento General sobre Higiene y Seguridad en el Trabajo
No Change
Does the law restrict work that is prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child? Yes 1 §122, 148 & 197 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law provide for employment injury benefits in the event of an occupational accident or disease? Yes 1 Agreement No. 1002 of the Board of Directors on work-related and nonwork-related accidents, 1994; ISSA Country Profile for Guatemala
No Change

Social Security - 80

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law provide for an old age benefit? Yes 1 Agreement No. 1124 of the Board of Directors on Regulations on Disability, Old age, and Survivors, 2003
No Change
Does the law provide for survivors' benefits? Yes 1 §24-25 of the Agreement No. 1124 of the Board of Directors on Regulations on Disability, Old-age, and Survivors, 2003
No Change
Does the law provide for unemployment benefits? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law require paid sick leave (and sickness benefits) for the first six months of sickness? Yes 1 §28 & 31 of the Decree No. 295; ISSA Country Profile for Guatemala
No Change
Does the law provide for invalidity benefits? Yes 1 §9 of the Agreement No. 1124 of the Board of Directors on Regulations on Disability, Old-age, and Survivors, 2003
No Change

Fair Treatment - 20

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law require equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value? Yes 1 §102 (c) of the Constitution of Guatemala 1985; §89 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law prohibit sexual harassment in employment? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change
Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment matters? No 0 §04 of the Constitution of Guatemala 1985; §14 (a) of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law allow women to do the same job as men? No 0 §102 (a) of the Constitution of Guatemala 1985; §06 of the Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law guarantee basic labour protection to the platform workers? No 0 No applicable legal provisions could be located
No Change

Child & Forced Labour - 75

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law prohibit the employment of children? Yes 1 §74, Constitution 1985; §31-32 & 148, Labour Code; §6 & 32 of Government Accord 112-2006
No Change
Does the law set employment entry age equal to or higher than the compulsory schooling age? No 0 §33 of the National Education Law, 1991; Ministerial Agreement 1055-2009
No Change
Does the law prohibit the employment of young persons in hazardous work under the age of 18 years? Yes 1 §148, Labour Code 1995; §1, Government Accord 250-2006; §4, Ministerial Accord 154-2008
No Change
Does the law prohibit forced labour? Yes 1 §04 of the Labour Code; §202 of the Penal Code, 1973; Decree 10-2015
No Change

Freedom of Association - 0

Question Answer Score Legal Basis Trend
Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice? No 0 §102 (r), Constitution 1985; §206 & 218, Labour Code (Decree No. 1441)
No Change
Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions? No 0 §6, Constitution 1985; §38-56, Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); Decreto Numero 2-2012; USDOS CRHRP 2023 (Guatemala)
No Change
Does the law provide the right to strike? No 0 §104 & 116, Constitution 1985; §241, Labour Code (Decree No. 1441); CEACR C87 Obs. 2023; ITUC Global Rights Index 2024 (Guatemala Profile)
No Change
Does the law prohibit imposing excessive sanctions against striking workers, including replacement of such workers? No 0 §390(2) & 430 of the Penal Code No. 17-73; CEACR C87 Obs. 2023
No Change

*In order to measure the trend in country’s legislative performance over the last edition of the Labour Rights Index (2022), the following legend is used.

Score increase

Score decrease

Score adjustment

Methodological change

No change