The Social Security Act provides that every employee between the ages of 16 and the Retirement Age, who commences employment in Dominica, must be registered with the DSS within four days of the commencement of employment. It is an offense under the Social Security Act to engage in employment if one is not registered.
If an employee is not yet registered:
- His employer has a legal obligation to give him time off to get registered. The employee should therefore ask for time off in order to get registered.
- To get registered, the employee must complete an Employee Registration Form, which must be submitted to the Social Security office along with the applicant’s original Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate (if applicable).
If an employee is already registered:
- He must present his employer with his Social Security card on the first day of work. It is important that this is done, because one can only qualify for Social Security benefit if one is registered.
It is important to note that each registered member of the DSS has a unique Social Security number. Your Social Security number ensures that all Contributions payable on your behalf are recorded against your name. You must therefore always quote your full Social Security number when making inquiries at the Social Security office.