How do I manage HR for a restaurant in Myanmar?

What this looks like in practice

Myanmar restaurants — from teashops to fine-dining — operate under the Shops & Establishments Act with a 44-hour week and a 1-day weekly rest. Most run 8–25 staff: cooks, kitchen helpers, waiters, cashiers and a manager. SSB triggers at 5 employees. Daily-wage waiters and casuals are common but still need ESDL appointment letters. Peak demand on weekends and public holidays means 2x and 3x OT exposure is the norm.

Step-by-step setup

1. Register the restaurant with DICA, township municipal authority and the township labour office.
2. Issue ESDL appointment letters in Myanmar language to every staff member, including casuals and part-time delivery riders.
3. Set the shift roster respecting the 44-hour week, with handover and a printed weekly schedule.
4. Document the service charge policy in the appointment letter and on payslips; tips through a documented pool.
5. Run monthly payroll by the 7th; PIT and SSB by the 15th; daily-wage workers paid weekly or fortnightly per contract.
6. Implement basic kitchen safety — first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, gas-leak protocol; OSH committee triggers at 50 employees if reached.
7. Plan public-holiday rosters with 3x pay or compensatory off (per employee written agreement).

Tools, templates and costs

• Cloud HRMS with shift roster: MMK 100,000–300,000/month for under 30 staff.
• Part-time HR/admin officer: MMK 300,000–600,000/month, often shared with bookkeeping.
• Per-staff cost: MMK 250,000–500,000/month in Yangon, MMK 180,000–400,000 in Mandalay.
• Templates: shift roster, daily-wage register, service-charge log, kitchen safety SOP.

Daily-wage staff treatment

Daily-rate waiters and dishwashers are still employees under ESDL — appointment letter, payslip, and SSB once total headcount reaches 5. Pay frequency can be weekly or fortnightly per contract under the Payment of Wages Law. Daily-wage exclusion from severance only applies if the contract is genuinely short-term — reclassification risk is high if the same person works 6+ months continuously.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Daily-wage workers without ESDL contracts — biggest violation in F&B inspections.
• Tipping pool not documented — staff disputes and PIT under-withholding.
• Skipping SSB once headcount hits 5 — retroactive contributions plus fine.
• Public-holiday work without 3x pay — wage-payment violation.
• No payslip for daily-rate staff — Payment of Wages Law violation.

Related: hotel HR, daily-wage workers in payroll, and seasonal-business HR.