Zambia
An ILO EPLex composite of 0.455 places Zambia among moderate-protection jurisdictions on the 0-1 scale.
Zambia's statutory protection against unfair dismissal is moderate - an ILO EPLex composite of 0.455 on the 0β1 scale, stronger than 64% of the 95 rated countries.
EPLex 0.455 Β· #35/95. ILO EPLex.
Employment Protection Composite
One composite verdict from 1 of 3 independent sources, each percentile-benchmarked against every rated country. A missing source never lowers the score -- its weight redistributes to the sources this country actually has.
Benchmarked against p10-p90 of every country rated by that source. See our methodology for the exact benchmark table and weights.
Where Zambia sits on ILO EPLex protection
Every rated country's dismissal-protection composite, 95 countries
0.46 Top 36% higher than 64% of 95 rated countries
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 Β· 2019
What the Data Shows for Zambia
Middle East & Africa. Covered by 1/3 tracked datasets. The most recent ILO EPLex composite score is 0.455 out of 1.0 (2019), summarizing statutory termination rules into a single index.
Statutory notice periods in Zambia scale with tenure across 7 tiers, reaching 1 month at 20 years of service. Severance pay can reach 20 months of salary at 20 years, while redundancy-specific pay is 40 months. The maximum probation period allowed by law is 25 months, defining how long employers can assess workers under reduced protection.
The EPLex redress/reinstatement sub-indicator is 0.625/1.0, reflecting how strong remedies are when a dismissal is ruled unlawful. 6 peer comparisons below.
Termination Protection Breakdown (2019)
Scale: 0 = no protection · 1 = maximum protection. Source: ILO EPLex 2019.
Notice Periods by Tenure
| Tenure | Notice Period |
|---|---|
| 6 months | 1 month |
| 9 months | 1 month |
| 2 years | 1 month |
| 4 years | 1 month |
| 5 years | 1 month |
| 10 years | 1 month |
| 20 years | 1 month |
Source: ILO EPLex Notice period is the legally mandated advance notice before termination
Severance and Redundancy Pay by Tenure
| Tenure | Severance | Redundancy |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | 0 mo | 0 mo |
| 9 months | 0 mo | 0 mo |
| 2 years | 2 mo | 4 mo |
| 4 years | 4 mo | 8 mo |
| 5 years | 5 mo | 10 mo |
| 10 years | 10 mo | 20 mo |
| 20 years | 20 mo | 40 mo |
Values in salary-months. Source: ILO EPLex. Severance = individual dismissal. Redundancy = collective/economic dismissal.
Compare Zambia With...
Countries with similar labor-regulation profiles
Two peer sets for Zambia on metrics that vary across the full country corpus, not regional containment. The nearest EPLex block below stays on the ILO composite; these neighborhoods use B-READY, OECD, or statutory-duration axes.
Similar notice at 24 months
Nearest countries by EPLex notice period at 24 months tenure (1.0 months here).
Nearest EPLex peers
Closest ILO EPLex composite scores to Zambia (0.455), not the global top of the list.
Read with this Zambia page
Read with this Zambia roster
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: ILO EPLex, World Bank B-READY, OECD EPL.
PlainEmploy is rendered directly from the OECD Employment Protection Legislation indicators, the ILO EPLex database, and the World Bank B-READY labor pillar, no number is typed in by an editor. This country's composite scores and comparisons are computed directly from the underlying OECD/EPLex/B-READY tables, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-30.