Hiring on Mars is a unique challenge, and if you plan to staff up for Elon Musk's Mars colonization project (or perhaps your own), you'll need to navigate the Martian labor landscape with precision. Whether you need to know how to to hire for the SpaceX Mars mission or are recruiting for Mars colony jobs, we've got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about hiring employees in this red-tinted frontier.
Mars’ employment laws are strange yet straightforward. All contracts must include:
- Gravity Challenge Clause: Optional. Permits employees to dispute the laws of physics during designated exercise hours.
- Airlock Access Provisions: Mandatory. Ensures escape pod access during decompression events, unless the role is classified as “surface-remote.”
- Meteor Shower Leave: Employees are entitled to 15 paid minutes during celestial events, unless said meteor poses an impact risk.
Tip: As you finalize your new hire’s contract, make sure to schedule a team bonding lunch at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. It's the best place to get your new hires acquainted with intergalactic fine dining (and potentially the best place to get lost in the multiverse while awaiting the next solar flare).
Don’t forget to remind your new employees: reservations are essential unless you enjoy waiting in line while contemplating your existence on a cosmic scale.
I spent a few frustrating weeks trying to decipher the Martian Employee Rights Act. Turns out you can’t just pay people in potato tokens and call it a day, who knew? Yeah it's buried there in sub-clause 6.465676. Playroll saved me from becoming the first person to accidentally start a wage rebellion on Mars.
Jaxon Ridgewell, Talent Acquisition Manager, Red Horizon Enterprises
Onboarding Process
Starting a new job on Mars is an exciting journey. Our onboarding process ensures your new employee can dive right into their role with minimal delay. After completing their profile and submitting the required information via the Playroll platform, the onboarding process begins. This typically takes 1-2 working days. However, for Martian nationals working across multiple colonies or non-nationals, the Right to Work assessment might take an additional 3 Sols, depending on their planet of origin.
Key Note: Payroll cut-off dates can have an impact on an employee’s actual start date, so be sure to confirm this when scheduling. The Playroll payroll cut-off occurs on the 10th of each month, unless a special arrangement has been made with your local payroll station.
Once the paperwork is submitted, your new employee will undergo mandatory environmental orientation, including safety drills for microgravity work environments, familiarizing themselves with historic findings of the Curiosity Rover, and completing the always fun "Martian Sandstorm Survival" course.
Working Hours in Mars
A Martian Sol lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes. The standard work cycle is 12 hours per Sol. Due to frequent atmospheric instability, employees may bank hours to maintain operations during solar flares or Elon Musk’s emergency press conferences.
Overtime in Mars
- Applies after 12 hours/Sol
- Double pay in Martian credits
- Must involve infrastructure, solar panel repair, or agricultural support (primarily potato-related)
Remote Work on Mars
With Earth-Mars travel taking 6–9 months, remote work has never been more remote! Remote work on Mars is becoming more common as technology advances, allowing employees to work from their Martian bases or orbiting moon stations. Thanks to interplanetary communication networks (though sometimes delayed by solar flares), businesses can now manage teams across Earth and Mars seamlessly.
The perks are undeniable: employees can work from space pods, sip freeze-dried coffee, and attend virtual meetings. However, challenges like adjusting to long days and managing isolation are part of the Martian remote work experience. Ensuring reliable Wi-Fi, oxygen supplies, and solar-powered devices is essential for a smooth remote work setup.
Probation Period in Mars
The probation period on Mars lasts for 6 Sols (approximately 12 Earth days). During this time, both the employer and the employee assess whether the job, the environment, and the atmosphere suit their needs. The probation period is essential for ensuring that new hires can acclimate to Martian gravity, as well as adapt to the local customs (including space etiquette and dealing with occasional close encounters with rogue asteroids).
If an employee experiences extreme difficulty adjusting to Martian gravity (i.e., constant floating off the ground), it’s standard practice to extend the probation period by an additional 3 Sols. Only after the successful completion of the probation period will an employee be eligible for full benefits, including access to the space coffee machine.