Labour Code, 2003
(Dahir No 1-03-194 portant promulgation de la loi n° 65-99 relative au Code du travail - in French)
Date:11 Sep 2003;
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Decree N° 2-04-469 of 2004 on notice period
(Décret n° 2-04-469 du 16 KAADA 1425 (29 décembre 2004) relatif au délai de préavis pour la rupture unilatérale du contrat de travail à durée indéterminée - in French)
Date:29 Dec 2004;
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Size of enterprises excluded (≤): 10
Exclusion only applicable to collective dismissal: see definition of collective dismissal in art. 66 LC.
The rules on individual dismissals apply to all enterprises.
Workers' categories excluded: actors/artistic sector workers, journalists, mine workers, civil/public servants, domestic workers, seafarers, apprentices
Art. 3 to art. 5 LC
FTC regulated: Yes
Valid reasons for FTC use: objective and material reasons
Art. 16 LC
Maximum number of successive FTCs: no limitation
Exceptions however are provided in art. 17: when starting-up an enterprise or launching a new product for the first-time in non-agricultural sectors, fixed-term contracts can be concluded for a maximum of 12 months, renewable once.
Maximum cumulative duration of successive FTCs: 2year(s)
Art. 17 LC
Maximum probationary (trial) period (in months): 6 month(s)
The duration of the probationary period is governed by art. 14 LC as follows:
- Contract of indefinite duration:
* 3 months for executives and similar positions
* 1,5 months for white collars
* 15 days for blue collars
This trial period can be renewed once.
- Fixed-term contract:
* Max. 2 weeks for contract concluded for less than 6 months
* Max. 1 month for contracts concluded for more than 6 months
Obligation to provide reasons to the employee:
Yes
* Dismissal based on the worker's conduct and the worker's capacity: art. 62 LC
* Dismissal based on economic grounds: art. 66 LC (consultation procedure).
Art. 35 LC: valid reason connected with the worker's conduct, capacity or operational requirements of the undertaking.
Art. 9 and art. 36 LC
Art. 152 LC: pregnant women and women on maternity leave.
Art. 58 LC: severance pay is doubled for workers' representatives.
Art. 457 LC: approval by the labour administration is required in case of a disciplinary dismissal of a workers' representative.
Art. 152 LC: prohibition to dismiss women during pregnancy and women on maternity leave.
Notification to the worker to be dismissed: written
* Disciplinary dismissal, mandatory procedural requirements:
Prior oral interview with possible representation by a workers' representative followed by a written decision: art. 62 and 63 LC
*Art. 44 LC applicable to any dismissal.
Notice period:
Art. 1 of the Decree n°2-04-469 of 29 December 2004 : notice period varies according to the category of workers and the length of service as follows:
1) For white collars and blue collars
- less than one year of service: 8 days;
- 1 to 5 years of service: 1 month:
- more than 5 years of service: 2 months.
2) For managerial and similar positions:
- less than one year of service: 1 month;
- 1 to 5 years of service: 2 months;
- more than 5 years: 3 months.
tenure ≥ 6 months:
tenure ≥ 9 months:
tenure ≥ 1 year:
tenure ≥ 2 years:
tenure ≥ 4 years:
tenure ≥ 5 years:
tenure ≥ 10 years:
tenure ≥ 20 years:
Pay in lieu of notice: Yes
Art. 51 LC
Notification to the public administration: Yes
Disciplinary dismissals: art. 64 LC.
Individual economic dismissals: art. 67 LC.
Notification to workers' representatives: No
Except in case of an individual economic dismissal: art. 66 LC.
Approval by public administration or judicial bodies: No
Except in case of individual dismissal on economic grounds (art. 67 LC) and dismissal of worker's representatives (art. 457 LC).
Approval by workers' representatives: No
Definition of collective dismissal (number of employees concerned): Dismissal affecting all or part of the workers in undertakings with 10 or more workers.
Art. 66 LC
Prior consultations with trade unions (workers' representatives): Yes
Art. 66 LC
Notification to the public administration: Yes
Art. 67 LC
Notification to workers' representatives: Yes
Art. 66 LC
Approval by public administration or judicial bodies: Yes
Art. 67 LC
Approval by workers' representatives: No
Priority rules for collective dismissals (social considerations, age, job tenure): Yes
Art. 71 LC provides a list of criteria to be considered: tenure, professional values, family responsibilities. However, no order is specified.
Employer's obligation to consider alternatives to dismissal (transfers, retraining...): Yes
Art. 66 LC: measures concerning alternatives to dismissal and mitigation of the negative effects are examined in the framework of the consultation process but no formal agreement is required.
Priority rules for re-employment: Yes
Art. 71 and 508 LC: preferential right to re-employment for 1 year.
See direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012):
"The Committee notes that 127 establishments terminated employment on economic or similar grounds in 2010, affecting more than 8,900 employees. During the first half of 2011, 57 establishments were concerned, with more than 3,410 workers having their employment terminated".
Severance pay:
Art. 53 LC establishes rules on severance pay as follows:
- Severance pay is due after 6 months of service.
- It corresponds to a number of hours per year that varies according to the length of service:
* 96 hours pay per year for the first 5 years
* 144 hours per year between the 6th and the 10th year
* 192 hours per year between the 11th and the 15th year
* 240 hours after the 15th year.
For the purpose of calculation, the yearly average work duration used here is 2288 hours as set in art. 184 LC.
tenure ≥ 6 months: 0.25 month(s)
tenure ≥ 9 months: 0.33 month(s)
tenure ≥ 1 year: 0.5 month(s)
tenure ≥ 4 years: 2 month(s)
tenure ≥ 5 years: 2.5 month(s)
tenure ≥ 10 years: 6.25 month(s)
tenure ≥ 20 years: 17.5 month(s)
Redundancy payment:
Art. 70 LC: Redundancy payment shall be the same as severance pay.
tenure ≥ 6 months: 0.25 month(s)
tenure ≥ 9 months: 0.33 month(s)
tenure ≥ 1 year: 0.5 month(s)
tenure ≥ 2 years: 1 month(s)
tenure ≥ 4 years: 2 month(s)
tenure ≥ 5 years: 2.5 month(s)
tenure ≥ 10 years: 6.25 month(s)
tenure ≥ 20 years: 17.5 month(s)
Compensation for unfair dismissal - free determination by court: No
Art. 41 LC
Compensation for unfair dismissal - Legal limits (ceiling in months or calculation method):
1,5 months' pay per year of service but cannot exceed 36 months' pay.
Art. 41 LC
Reinstatement available: Yes
Art. 41 LC
Preliminary mandatory conciliation: No
No mandatory conciliation before the court.
However, possibility to resort to extra-judicial conciliation before the Labour Inspectorate to claim reinstatement or damages (art. 41 LC)
Competent court(s) / tribunal(s): ordinary courts
Art. 41 LC refers to the competent tribunal. No labour court in Morocco.
Existing arbitration: No