Workers' rights in Morocco: the basics every worker and employer should know

Many Moroccans work without a written contract: seasonal jobs, domestic work, everyday tasks. Workers and employers rarely know what the law says. This page summarises the basics from the Labour Code (Law 65-99) and a few specific texts. It is general awareness information; for the details, refer to the official text or to the labour inspectorate.

Minimum age

Article 143 of the Labour Code sets the minimum age for employment at fifteen completed years. Domestic work has its own law (Law 19-12), which sets the minimum age at 18, with a five-year transitional period from its entry into force during which people aged 16 to 18 may be employed under conditions (art. 6), and requires a written employment contract (art. 3).

Working time and rest

• Outside agriculture: 44 hours a week or 2,288 hours a year, without exceeding ten hours a day (art. 184).
• In agriculture: 2,496 hours a year (art. 184).
• Weekly rest: at least twenty-four hours, midnight to midnight (art. 205).
• Overtime: a 25% premium between 6:00 and 21:00 outside agriculture and 50% between 21:00 and 6:00; in agriculture 25% between 5:00 and 20:00 and 50% between 20:00 and 5:00 (art. 201).

Pay

Pay cannot be lower than the legal minimum (SMIG or SMAG depending on the sector) and must be paid at regular intervals. A worker is entitled to the full wage; only deductions permitted by law are allowed. The current amounts are in our guide on the minimum wage.

Social security and health cover

The employer must declare employees to the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS) and pay contributions. That declaration gives access to family allowances, compulsory health insurance (AMO), retirement and compensation for workplace accidents. Workers should check that their days are declared, because it is the declaration that builds their future rights.

Safety at work

The employer must provide suitable health and safety conditions: drinking water, decent conditions, protective equipment and information on risks. No one can be forced to do work that endangers their life without protection. An accident must be reported within the legal deadlines.

Where to get help

• The labour inspectorate in your city: to file a complaint over unpaid wages or working-time breaches.
• The CNSS: to check your declaration and contributions.
• The Bulletin officiel: to read the original text of laws and decrees.
• The Khedma app: to open a dispute about work arranged through the platform, keeping your messages and written agreement.