Hiring in Jordan

The contract sets out role, salary in JOD, working hours, leave, notice and any restrictive covenants. The EOR is the counterparty to the employee, which is what removes the need for your own entity.

Arabic is the required contract language. Bilingual Arabic and English versions are common for commercial roles, so agree which text governs.

Fixed-term contracts are permitted. Since the 2025 amendments, work that continues past the end date renews the contract for the same term rather than making it indefinite, so track expiry dates.

Set probation from day one. It cannot be extended, and the same employee cannot be put through a second probation period.

Some EORs shorten probation as policy because they, not you, carry the dismissal risk. Ask before you agree a start date.

Overtime needs the employee's consent and is paid at 125% of the normal wage, rising to 150% on the weekly rest day and public holidays.

Senior hires often sit in managerial roles outside the working-hours rules, so overtime becomes a contractual matter rather than a statutory one. Put the position in writing either way.

Islamic holiday dates follow the lunar calendar and are confirmed by government announcement each year, so build some slack into plans around Eid.

Sick leave is 14 days on full pay a year, with a further 14 paid days for hospitalisation or on an approved medical report. Maternity leave is 90 days on full pay, with the allowance paid through social security maternity insurance, so confirm which side the EOR carries. Fathers get 3 days of paid paternity leave.

Either side may terminate on notice or pay in lieu. A dismissal that does not fit a ground listed in the law risks being ruled arbitrary, with compensation commonly assessed at half a month's wage per year of service and a two-month minimum.

The EOR runs the process as the legal employer and will want the paperwork in order, including final pay and unused leave. Redundancies need Ministry of Labour approval, and pregnant employees and those on maternity leave cannot be dismissed.

SSC covers old age, disability, death, work injury, maternity and unemployment. Private medical cover, dental and group life are standard for professional roles even though they are not mandatory.

EORs often bundle benefits through a group scheme. Ask what is included in the fee and what is billed on top.

Employer contributions add 14.25% on top of gross salary, up to the monthly SSC salary ceiling, for local and foreign hires alike. That is before the EOR fee.

Late SSC registration is the trap. Employees must be enrolled from their first day, including expatriates, and the 2026 amendments raised penalties for unpaid contributions, so check the EOR registers before the first payroll run.

Ask whether the EOR sponsors directly or refers to a partner. A partner-model EOR often cannot sponsor at all, and closed-profession lists, sector quotas and the labour market test apply to the sponsor and the role, not to you.

Set start dates after approval, not before.

Get the data processing terms in the service agreement, not just the privacy notice. Transfers out of Jordan are restricted unless the destination offers adequate protection or an exception, such as explicit consent, applies.

Ask where payroll data is hosted and who in the partner chain can see it.

A limited liability company is the usual vehicle, but the running cost is the point: a mandatory annual audit, accounting, tax filings and payroll software set an annual floor. Some sectors also cap or bar foreign ownership.

Permanent establishment risk is about what people do, not where payroll sits. Revenue-generating activity can create exposure regardless of the employment route.