Your wage record is what a severance determination rests on

In Uganda, where severance is determined rather than calculated by formula, your documented wage history carries unusual weight.

Why your payslips matter more here

A Labour Officer setting a severance amount considers wages among the key factors. Your payslips are the evidence of what those were.

In a country with a fixed multiplier, one recent payslip might suffice. In Uganda, a full history showing progression is more useful.

NSSF

The National Social Security Fund is the mandatory social security scheme. Both employer and employee contribute, funding retirement and related benefits.

Verify your contributions

A deduction on your payslip does not prove your employer remitted it. Check your NSSF statement directly.

Gaps affect your eventual benefit, and they are far easier to resolve while you are still employed.

What to check monthly

1. That your wage matches what was agreed
2. That NSSF is deducted and remitted
3. That no unauthorised deduction appears
4. That any allowances are itemised

Keep everything

• Your appointment letter or contract, if one exists in writing
• Every payslip
• Anything showing your start date
• NSSF statements

Remember that Section 25 allows contracts to be oral. If yours is, your payslips and NSSF record may be the only documentary evidence of the employment relationship and its terms.

Terminal benefits timing

All terminal benefits, including severance, must be settled within a reasonable time after termination. Labour Officers expect promptness.

In practice, employers aim to pay within the final payroll cycle or within 7 to 30 days of the last working day.

Document the payment date

Employers are expected to document the payment date in the termination letter and keep proof of payment. Ask for both.

If something is wrong

Raise it with your employer first, then with the Labour Officer for your district.