Barbados
Remote's Barbados employment guide will guide you through your compliance responsibilities. Note that Remote's employer of record services are not yet live in Barbados. but you can pay contractors with Remote now.
- Capital City
Bridgetown
- Currency
Barbadian dollar ($, BBD)
- Languages
English and Bajan Creole
- Population size
287,371
Facts & Stats
- Capital City
Bridgetown
- Currency
Barbadian dollar ($, BBD)
- Languages
English and Bajan Creole
- Population size
287,371
- Ease of doing business
Medium
- Cost of living index
81.49 (2021)
- Payroll frequency
Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly
- VAT - standard rate
17.5%
- GDP - real growth rate
19.0% (2020)
The island nation of Barbados has been inhabited since the 13th century by the indigenous Kalinago people, prior to the arrival of European explorers, after which the territory rapidly changed hands as a Spanish, Portuguese, and finally a British colony.
In recent times, Barbados holds a place as a popular tourist haven with its pristine beaches, classical architecture, and Caribbean cuisine that draws over a million visitors annually.
Grow your team in Barbados with Remote
You can pay contractors now in Barbados with Remote in some currencies (talk to a Remote expert now for more details).
Note that we are busy developing our EOR product to legally operate in Barbados and provide you with the best possible experience for your team, but we are not yet ready to employ in Barbados.
Companies hiring in Barbados are typically required to either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider to employ on the company's behalf. Developing the processes required to manage payroll, benefits, taxes, and onboarding in countries like Barbados can get complicated fast, especially without localized expertise. If you’re looking to start hiring in a country like this, using a global HR platform like Remote makes it easy to hire workers in full compliance with all local legislation. In the countries where we do offer our Employer of Record product, Remote takes on responsibility for compliance so you can focus on hiring great talent and growing your business.
Risks of misclassification
Barbados, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Barbados may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in Barbados
Provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights are spelled out in the Barbadian Constitution and across several government statutes, such as:
the Employment Rights Act,
the Trade Unions Act,
the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and
the Severance Payments Act.
Employees in Barbados generally enjoy protection against discrimination based on age and race.
Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include the minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Barbados.
Minimum wage
The Barbadian minimum wage is currently fixed between BDS$ 6.25 - BDS $8.5 per hour, or roughly $3.12 - $4.25 hourly.
Effortless HR Barbados: Take the Tour
Competitive benefits package in Barbados
At Remote, we’re passionate about helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in developing globally competitive benefits programs. This means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive, and that your company has the localized expertise needed to attract and keep the best global talent.
Although we don't yet have our own legal entity in Barbados, our benefits packages for all countries are tailored to fulfill the local needs of employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Fair Pricing in Barbados
Contractor Management
Compliantly onboard and pay contractors
$29
per contractor/month
Top features
Only pay for contractors you actively work with
Work with contractors in 200+ countries and territories
Create, edit, and sign tailored, localized contracts
Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay
Transparent payments with complete visibility
Payroll
Consolidate your multi-country payroll
$29
per employee/month
Top features
Support: Personalized assistance with a dedicated team and specialists
Accuracy: Test runs and parallel pay runs before implementation
Compliance: Adhere to local labor laws in every country
Timeliness: Accurate and on-time payroll with labor authority reporting handled
Experience: Seamless payroll with easy access to payslips and expenses
Top features
Guided onboarding and offboarding
Employee profile and document management
Time and attendance (time off and tracking)
Expense management and reimbursement
Employee self-serve on the platform and mobile app