Tanzanian employment contracts can be written or oral, though written is recommended for clarity.
What a written contract should cover
- Job title
- Working hours
- Salary
- Duration of employment
- The terms for termination
Fixed-term versus indefinite
A fixed-term contract has a specific start and end date. Note that severance is not payable where a fixed-term contract has automatically expired.
That makes the contract type a material question.
Why records matter more where contracts can be oral
Severance depends on completed years of service — at least one to qualify, and up to ten counted.
If you have no written contract, what establishes your start date?
- Your first payslip
- NSSF records showing the first contribution
- Any appointment or confirmation letter
- Dated correspondence
NSSF
Employees contribute to the National Social Security Fund and are entitled to workers' compensation for work-related injuries.
Verify your record directly. A deduction on your payslip does not prove the employer remitted it, and gaps affect both your benefits and your evidence of service.
Health insurance
Tanzania operates a National Health Insurance Fund alongside NSSF.
Your basic wage
Severance is calculated on basic wage. A package weighted toward allowances outside the basic produces a smaller severance figure.
Worth asking at offer stage what the basic is, separately from the total.
Health and safety
The Occupational Health and Safety Act of 2003 requires employers to provide a safe working environment.
Non-discrimination
Section 7(4) of ELRA prohibits discrimination on any grounds including nationality, religion, gender, age, political alliance and social origin.
Trade unions
Employees may join unions and engage in collective bargaining. A negotiated retrenchment agreement becomes binding as a collective agreement under Section 71(3)(c).
Keep everything
Payslips, NSSF statements, any correspondence about your terms, and the certificate of service when you leave.