Employee protections in Egypt

All countries have certain laws in place to protect employees from coming to harm. These include protections for whistleblowers, rules about data privacy and protection from harassment or discrimination in the workplace. In this guide, we’ll take you through what you need to know about employee protections in Egypt, so you can both safeguard your business interests and keep your employees safe.

Whistleblowing in Egypt

There are currently no national laws regarding whistleblowing in Egypt. Employers may establish internal reporting channels based on best practices and international labour standards.

Data privacy in Egypt

Any business that hires employees will inevitably end up processing those employees’ personal data. There are strict rules that apply to the processing of employee data in Egypt, which you can read about below.

Data protection law in Egypt

The main data protection law in Egypt is the Data Protection Law No 151/2020, which came into effect in 2020. It encompasses the protection of the data of both individuals and entities and generally prohibits the processing of personal data without explicit consent from the data subject. A number of other laws also have provisions for the right to privacy in Egypt.

What employers need to know about data protection in Egypt
Employers in Egypt must be transparent about their use of employees’ personal data. They must have a lawful basis for the processing of personal data. Businesses that process employee data should also appoint a data protection officer (DPO) to oversee the organisation’s data protection policies and procedures.

Consequences for non-compliance with Egypt’s data protection law

Employers who fail to comply with the Egyptian data protection law can face serious consequences. Specifically, non-compliance carries the risk of administrative fines of up to EGP 5 million, as well as criminal penalties including imprisonment of more than six months.

Equal treatment for temporary agency workers in Egypt

Egyptian labour law does not explicitly address equal pay between temporary and permanent workers. However, Egyptian labour law mandates that employers apply the principle of equal pay for work of equal value to all workers, without discrimination based on race, color, gender, marital status, belief, political opinion, trade union membership, nationality, or social descent.

This provision suggests that, in principle, all employees performing work of equal value should receive equal pay, regardless of their employment status. However, due to the lack of explicit regulations regarding temporary agency workers, disparities may still exist in practice.

Anti-discrimination laws and protection against harassment in Egypt

There are various anti-discrimination regulations in Egypt, including:

The Egyptian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination against women and all forms of discrimination among citizens more generally.
Law No 10 of 2018, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
International conventions including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD, 1965) and The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 1979).

Remedies for discrimination and harassment in Egypt

Employees who have experienced harassment or discrimination in the workplace in Egypt should first file an internal complaint. If they wish to escalate the matter, they have 76 days to file a complaint with the Labour Office or the Labour Circuit. Employees forfeit the right to file an external complaint if they do not do so within this time limit.

Discrimination in Egypt is treated similarly to other types of workplace misconduct by Egyptian labour law and the Egyptian Civil Code. However, harassment can also come under Egyptian criminal law if it includes acts exploiting a victim’s vulnerability or exclusion. These acts carry serious penalties including imprisonment of at least one year and fines of up to EGP 100,000.

Pay equity laws in Egypt

The Egyptian Labour Code Law No 12 of 2003 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the payment of wages in Egypt. This means it is illegal to pay female employees less than male employees for the same work.

However, there are still significant problems with pay equity in Egypt. According to one study, Egypt has one of the largest gender pay gaps in the world, with men earning almost four times as much as women on average. Employers in Egypt do not currently have any obligation to report on their gender pay gap or other pay equity statistics, as is the case in many other countries.

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