Termination of a contract of employment in Cameroon has been defined to include any termination of the labour relation by either the employer or worker with or without notice, or upon the expiration of a fixed term contract. The rights and obligations under a contract of employment in Cameroon may be brought to an end in the same way as in any other kind of contract irrespective of whether it is a contract of specified duration or unspecified duration. The factors under which a contract of employment may be terminated are as follows;
- Breach,
- Frustration,
- Lapse of time,
- Agreement,
- Performance, and
- By operation of the law.
The circumstances surrounding the termination of a contract of employment in Cameroon determines whether the termination is lawful or wrongful in nature. And whether the termination of the contract of employment is lawful or not plays a role in determining the consequences of the aftermath of each termination.
A retrospective look at the plethora of labour matters in Cameroon show that the main ground for those cases is unfair or wrongful termination of the contract of employment. This is orchestrated by the abuse of the judicial right of unilateral termination vested on the parties to a contract of employment in Cameroon.
The termination of an employment contract in Cameroon can either be lawful or unlawful.