Working time, as used in this law, is defined as the time from the start of work until its conclusion during which an employee performs work or is available to the employer, excluding breaks.
Working process rules, shift schedules, or an employment contract must specify the start and conclusion of each workday.
Regular working time
An employee’s usual daily working period cannot exceed eight hours, and their regular weekly time cannot exceed forty hours. Within the purpose of this law, “daily working time” refers to time spent working for 24 hours.
The regular worktime of another weekday may be extended, but not by more than an hour, if the daily worktime on any given weekday is less than the regular daily time. In this scenario, the requirements for the weekly time must be followed.
If an employee is involved in work that entails a specific risk for at least 50% of their usual daily or weekly work time, their standard working hours cannot exceed seven per day or 35 per week. Other groups of employees may also have regular shortened working hours set by the Cabinet.
Work hours for individuals under the age of 18
A five-day workweek must be stated for individuals under the age of 18. Under 13 children are prohibited from working more than two hours per day or more than ten hours per week if the work is performed during the school year. If the work is a job, performed for more than four hours a day and more than 20 hours a week if the work is performed for more than seven hours per day and more than 35 hours per week during a time when schools are out, but when a child has already turned 15 years old.
Teenagers are not allowed to work more than seven hours per day or 35 hours per week.
If a person under 18 continues to pursue primary, secondary, or occupational education in addition to working, the total amount of time spent on studies and work must not exceed seven hours per day and 35 hours per week.
If an under 18 person works for more than one employer, the work time must be added up.
Length of a working week
Employees are required to work a five-day workweek. Employers must designate a six-day workweek after consulting with employee representatives if a five-day workweek cannot be determined owing to the nature of the work.
The daily working time cannot be longer than seven hours if a six-day workweek is established. Employees whose regular working hours are limited to the period allotted in Section 131, Paragraph 3 of this Law may not work more than six hours each day.
Saturdays must have a shorter workday than other days. An employment contract, working process rules, or a collective agreement must all specify the Saturday workday length.
An employer may designate a working day as a holiday and move it to Saturday of the same week or of a different week within the same month if a working week includes a day that falls between a public holiday and the week’s days off.
Part-time work
In an employment contract, an employer and employee may agree to part-time work that is less than the ordinary daily or weekly working hours.
An employer must consider requests for part-time work from women who are pregnant, women who wish to breastfeed for up to a year after giving birth, and employees who have children under the age of 14 or children who are disabled and under the age of 18 and who wish to work part-time.
An employee who is employed part-time is subject to the same rules that apply to an employee who is employed during regular working hours.