🇰🇭 Asia-Pacific

Cambodia

Employment-protection data from 2 official sources — composite scores, notice periods, severance, and dismissal rules.

ILO EPLex B-READY 2025
0.455 ILO EPLex composite (0–1)
OECD EPL →

Cambodia — the verdict

Cambodia's statutory protection against unfair dismissal is moderate — an ILO EPLex composite of 0.455 on the 0–1 scale, stronger than 63% of the 95 rated countries.

0.455
ILO EPLex composite (0–1)
63th
percentile — protection
71.7/100
B-READY labor quality

Sources: ILO EPLex · World Bank B-READY 2025. Higher = stronger statutory protection.

Cambodia ranks high on the World Bank B-READY 2025 labor regulation quality index, scoring 71.7/100 — placing it among the stronger regulatory environments globally. The ILO EPLex composite (2018) stands at 0.455/1.0. Statutory notice rules apply across 7 tenure tiers.

What the Data Shows for Cambodia

Cambodia, located in Asia-Pacific, appears in 2 of the three employment-protection datasets tracked on PlainEmploy (ILO EPLex, World Bank B-READY 2025, and OECD EPL). The most recent ILO EPLex composite score is 0.455 out of 1.0 (2018), summarizing statutory termination rules into a single index. The World Bank B-READY 2025 overall labor score stands at 71.7/100, blending regulation quality, public services, and process efficiency.

Statutory notice periods in Cambodia scale with tenure across 7 tiers, reaching 3 months at 20 years of service. Severance pay can reach 6 months of salary at 20 years, while redundancy-specific pay is 6 months. The maximum probation period allowed by law is 3 months, defining how long employers can assess workers under reduced protection. In practice, the World Bank estimates a full dismissal process takes about 6.7 weeks from start to finish. Third-party approval for an individual dismissal is not required, which materially affects employer flexibility.

Labor disputes take an average of 0.0 months to resolve through formal channels. Roughly 16.7% of firms surveyed by the World Bank report experiencing labor disputes, signaling how frequently these rules are exercised. Employer social contributions equal 16.7% of salary, a meaningful cost layer on top of wages. The EPLex redress/reinstatement sub-indicator is 0.625/1.0, reflecting how strong remedies are when a dismissal is ruled unlawful. 6 direct country-vs-country comparisons are available below, letting you see how Cambodia stacks up against peers on the same metrics.

These figures draw on three different measurement traditions, so read each one on its own terms before comparing across countries. The ILO EPLex composite condenses statutory termination rules into a single index from zero to one, where higher numbers mean stronger legal protection against dismissal. The World Bank Business Ready 2025 labor score runs from zero to one hundred and blends the quality of regulation with how well public services and dispute processes actually work in practice. The OECD employment protection index uses a zero to six scale and only covers member economies, but it offers the longest historical series, which makes it the better choice for tracking reform over time. A country can score strictly on paper yet still process dismissals quickly, so always weigh the statutory index against the practical estimates. Where a country appears in fewer than all three datasets, treat the missing measures as not yet collected rather than as a sign of weak protection, and revisit this page when new releases are published because indicators can shift year over year.

Data Sources

2

ILO / WB / OECD coverage

Region

Asia-Pacific

Geographic grouping

Latest Year

2025

Most recent indicator update

Cambodia vs. every rated country

Where Cambodia's ILO EPLex composite sits among all 95 countries with a composite score.

Cambodia — ILO EPLex composite

Worker-protection strength against unfair dismissal (0–1 scale)

0.46 Top 37% higher than 63% of 95 rated countries

0.00–0.10: 0 rated countries (0%). Below this entry. 0.10–0.20: 1 rated countries (1%). Below this entry. 0.20–0.30: 8 rated countries (8%). Below this entry. 0.30–0.40: 26 rated countries (27%). Below this entry. 0.40–0.50: 39 rated countries (41%). This entry sits in this band. 0.50–0.60: 15 rated countries (16%). Above this entry. 0.60–0.70: 6 rated countries (6%). Above this entry. 0.70–0.80: 0 rated countries (0%). Above this entry. 0.80–0.90: 0 rated countries (0%). Above this entry. 0.90–1.00: 0 rated countries (0%). Above this entry. Cambodia 0.00 1.00 EPLex composite score, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source ILO EPLex composite (0–1 scale) · 2018

Cambodia EPLex composite 45.5%

Out of a 1.0 maximum. Higher = stronger statutory protection against dismissal.

ILO EPLex (2018)
0.455
out of 1.0 · Rank #36
B-READY 2025
71.7
out of 100 · Rank #19
OECD EPL
No data available

ILO EPLex

Termination Protection Breakdown (2018)

Prohibited Grounds for Dismissal
0.500
Probation Period
0.880
Procedural Requirements
0.500
Notice Periods
0.175
Severance Pay
0.127
Redundancy Pay
0.163
Redress / Reinstatement
0.625

Scale: 0 = no protection · 1 = maximum protection. Source: ILO EPLex 2018.

Max probation period: 3 months

Notice Periods by Tenure

Tenure Notice Period
6 months 0.5 months
9 months 0.5 months
2 years 0.5 months
4 years 1 month
5 years 1 month
10 years 2 months
20 years 3 months

Source: ILO EPLex ILO EPLex Notice period is the legally mandated advance notice before termination

Severance and Redundancy Pay by Tenure

Tenure Severance Redundancy
6 months 0.2333333 mo 0.2333333 mo
9 months 0.2333333 mo 0.2333333 mo
2 years 1 mo 1 mo
4 years 2 mo 2 mo
5 years 2.5 mo 2.5 mo
10 years 5 mo 5 mo
20 years 6 mo 6 mo

Values in salary-months. Source: ILO EPLex. Severance = individual dismissal. Redundancy = collective/economic dismissal.


B-READY 2025

Labor Regulation Quality

Regulation Quality
76.1
out of 100
Public Services
72.2
out of 100
Efficiency
66.6
out of 100
Notice Required
Yes
Severance Required
Yes
Weeks to Dismiss
6.7
Weeks Severance
7.4
Firms in Disputes
16.7%
Months to Resolve
0.0
Social Contributions
16.7%
3rd Party for Dismissal
Not required

Source: World Bank Business Ready 2025 World Bank Business Ready 2025 Pillar scores are 0-100 (higher = better regulation quality)


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the employment protections in Cambodia?

Cambodia has employment protection data from 2 sources. ILO EPLex termination protection composite score: 0.455/1.0 (2018). World Bank B-READY labor regulation quality: 71.7/100. 7 notice period tiers defined by law. 7 severance/redundancy pay tiers.

How does Cambodia compare to the OECD average?

While Cambodia lacks OECD EPL data, its ILO EPLex composite score is 0.455/1.0, providing a comparable measure of termination protection.

What notice period and severance pay does Cambodia require?

In Cambodia, at 20 years of tenure, employers must give 3 months notice. severance pay reaches 6 months of salary at 20 years. notice is legally mandated. severance is legally mandated.

What data sources cover Cambodia's employment laws?

Cambodia is covered by 2 sources: the International Labour Organization EPLex database (termination protection indicators and sub-scores); the World Bank Business Ready 2025 report (labor regulation quality, dismissal costs, and dispute resolution). Each source measures different aspects of employment protection, providing a multi-dimensional view of labor regulation.

How strict are dismissal protections in Cambodia?

According to ILO EPLex (2018), Cambodia's termination protections are moderately strict with a composite score of 0.455/1.0. The maximum probation period is 3 months. Third-party approval for individual dismissal is not required. The dismissal process takes approximately 6.7 weeks.

How does Cambodia handle labor disputes?

Labor disputes in Cambodia take an average of 0.0 months to resolve. Approximately 16.7% of firms report experiencing labor disputes. Employer social contributions represent 16.7% of salary. The ILO EPLex redress/reinstatement indicator is 0.625/1.0, reflecting the strength of worker remedies after unfair dismissal.

Related

Data sourced from official OECD, ILO, and World Bank employment-protection datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEmploy Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OECD, ILO, and World Bank labor market databases. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.