They have a 90 day period before severance kicks in. After that, you will owe employees severance and benefits. I always started my employees on a base wage, and told them that at the end of 90 days, if I was happy they were there, and if they were happy they were there, I would give them a raise. This seemed to work out for me, and I always knew who would last and do the work I needed to be done. The raise at 90 days seemed to make them feel secure too, and motivated.
Possibly the single best thing you can do right now richmex, is to buy a copy of the Labor Code, (a book of about 300 pages) and then spend an afternoon reading and studying it. It will tell you all the rules and benefits that DR employees are entitled to, and proper preparation is key here. Knowing the Labor Code will save you many headaches down the road. You can get this book at either the Secretary of Labor or in the major stores like La Serena's book section for less than RD$300.