Regular working hours, overtime work, holidays, leave

Information Sheet for Trainer: Module 3.3: Regular working hours, overtime work, holidays, leave

1.       Introduction

Limiting working hours is one of the objectives of the Labour Law. The number of hours worked are fixed on a daily and weekly basis. Regular working hours are the period worked by an employee and are officially defined as 8 hours per day. Any additional period is considered as overtime, which is voluntary; therefore, the law prohibits imposing overtime working hours. Similarly, overtime work is regulated and legal provision for weekly holidays and leave protect employee’s basic rights. All the rules governed by labour law ensure not only employee’s right but also provides a ground for employer’s prosperousness.    

1.1.    Working hours, holidays and leave

1.1.1. Working hours

·         Working hours refers to the period of time (excluding the time for lunch and rest) a person stays in a workplace for the purpose of work

·         No adult worker shall ordinarily be required to work in an establishment for more than eight hours in any day

·         No adult worker shall ordinarily be required to work in an establishment for more than forty-eight hours in any week.

·         The maximum allowable overtime hours in a week shall not exceed 12 hours

·         The total hours of work in a week including over time and on the average of fifty-six hours per week in a year

·         Overtime hours shall be done on a voluntary basis and be paid at double the ordinary rate

·         No woman shall, without her consent, be allowed to work in an establishment between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 06:00 a.m.

·         An adolescent (age: below 18 but above 14) shall be required or allowed to work not more than five hours in a day and thirty hours in a week

·         An employee will get an interval of one hour for rest or meal, if the day’s working hour is more than six hours

1.1.2. Holidays and leave

·         Weekly holidays: An employee is entitled to at least one free day following six consecutive days of work

·         An employee is deprived of any of the weekly holidays provided for in that section, he/she shall be allowed, as soon as circumstances permit, compensatory holidays, of equal number to the holidays so deprived of.

·         Festival holidays: Employees are entitled to at least eleven days festival holidays in a year. List of festival holidays need to be declared by the employer at the beginning of each year.