Working hours

The working hours is the time during which the employee is available to his/her employer or employers, if there are more than one, except for the rest periods during which the employee is not required to be available to the employer(s).

The regulations related to working hours apply to all employees that work in the private and public sectors.

In principle, the parties to the contract are free to set the working hours.

However, this freedom is strictly limited in so far as ordinary working hours are consistently limited to:

  • 8 hours a day; and                  
  • 40 hours a week.

In the event of overtime work, the maximum working hours are limited to:

  • 10 hours a day; and
  • 48 hours a week.

It should be noted that the provisions on working hours provide rules relating to the flexibility of working time.

Contractual clauses, either individual or collective, can, as the case may be, allow for shorter working hours. 

Night working time

Employees working at night shall not have to work more than 8 hours on average per 24-hour period, calculated over a period of 7 days .

Employees working at night who perform high-risk jobs shall not in any event work more than 8 hours per 24-hour period.

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