The National Salary Counsel unanimously approved the minimum wage increase for private sector employees, as of January 1, 2019. The general increase percentage for 2019 is 2.96% and 3.50% for domestic service employees.

The Minimum Wage Decree for the Private Sector applies to all employees, regardless of how long they have been working for the company.

The employees who benefit from this salary increase are:

• Private sector employees who currently receive the minimum legal salary for their category.
• Employees who have an agreement with their employers to receive the minimum salary increase, even though their current salary is above the minimum legal amount.

The Employment & Labor and Immigration Practice of Dentons Muñoz – Costa Rica offers legal advice relating to:

• Legislation review: to determine which of the applicable minimum wages correspond to which category of employees.
• Legal opinions: in reference to all minimum wage matters.
• Legal advice: to prevent future legal issues.

To obtain legal advice on this topic or any other topic regarding Costa Rican Labor and Employment, HR, and Immigration Law, please do not hesitate to contact us.