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Company internal rules and regulations in Cameroon, known as the règlement intérieur, govern workplace organization, discipline, hygiene and safety. Employers must consult staff representatives where they exist and obtain the competent Labour Inspector’s endorsement before bringing the rules into force.

This guide explains the legal framework, submission process and practical steps employers and employees should take to support employment compliance.

1. When are internal rules compulsory in Cameroon?

Internal regulations are compulsory for enterprises habitually employing more than ten workers covered by the Labour Code. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s 2022 user guide likewise identifies employers with at least eleven workers as subject to the endorsement procedure. Employers approaching this threshold should prepare early rather than wait for an inspection.

Start by checking your workforce records and identifying the establishments the document should cover. For businesses with several locations, ask the competent inspectorate whether particular operations need establishment-specific provisions. Keep a written record of that discussion so HR and site managers work from the same understanding.

Treat preparation as an operational exercise, not simply a document purchase. Ask supervisors which attendance, equipment-use and safety issues actually arise, then translate those issues into clear proposed rules for legal review.

2. Keep the content within its legal boundaries

Section 29 of Law No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992 limits internal regulations to technical work organisation, disciplinary standards and procedures, and occupational hygiene and safety. Other provisions, particularly remuneration clauses, are generally void within this instrument, subject to the statutory exception in Section 68(4).

When drafting, consider practical provisions covering:

• Work organisation: attendance reporting, access to operational areas, equipment handling and handover responsibilities.
• Disciplinary procedures: how alleged misconduct is reported, examined and addressed through lawful measures.
• Hygiene and safety: protective equipment, incident reporting, emergency instructions and safe use of machinery.

For example, replace “employees must behave responsibly” with an instruction explaining who receives a hazard report and what information to provide. A usable rule tells workers what to do and gives supervisors a consistent reference.

Keep salary arrangements and broader contractual benefits in the appropriate documents. As a drafting precaution, review the regulations alongside employment contracts, applicable collective agreements and existing policies before submission, rather than assuming a generic handbook fits employment law in Cameroon.

3. How must internal rules be registered with the Labour Inspectorate?

The essential legal requirement is submission for the territorially competent Labour Inspector’s visa, or endorsement, before implementation. Section 29 authorises the inspector to require unlawful provisions to be removed or amended. What businesses often call “registration” therefore involves substantive review, not merely delivery of a document.

Use the following sequence to organise the process.

4. Consult staff representatives and document the exchange

The implementing Order No. 007/MTLS/DEGRE of 17 June 1968 provides for communication within three months of reaching the threshold. Representatives have twenty days to submit written observations; rejected observations require a reasoned response within eight days.

Use dated correspondence and retain delivery evidence. Recommend that reviewers identify the clause concerned, the difficulty it creates and a proposed alternative. This makes the consultation easier to evaluate and gives the employer a useful record of decisions rather than an unexplained signature page.

5. Prepare and submit the endorsement file

The 2022 MINTSS user guide lists an unstamped application addressed to the competent Labour Inspector, three copies of the draft regulations and staff representatives’ opinions where applicable. It identifies the departmental delegation’s mail office as a submission point.

Before filing, confirm the receiving office, required copies and current administrative arrangements locally. Add a covering inventory and keep an identical company copy. Request evidence of receipt, record the filing date and assign one person to track correspondence and requested revisions.

Obtain the visa, then display and implement

The 1968 Order provides for inspector review within thirty days, posting after endorsement in recruitment premises and workplaces, and entry into force fifteen days after the visa. It also requires the rules to remain legible and to be read to newly recruited workers who cannot read, with explanations on request.

Do not confuse submission with endorsement or assume silence permits enforcement. Confirm the applicable timetable with the inspectorate, particularly because the 2022 user guide lists a fifteen-day administrative processing period. Keep the endorsed original and communicate the effective date clearly.

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