Overtime and Break Laws by Country (2026)
When overtime starts, what it pays, and which breaks a shift gets, country by country. Where provinces or states set their own rules, each has its own page. Every figure links to the government source it came from.
Overtime is not counted the same way everywhere: some places count the day, most count the week, and a few count the whole pay period or the month. That is why the rates and thresholds below matter for payroll.
| Country | Overtime | Breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1.5x for overtime past 8 hours a day or 48 a week on ordinary days, 2x on Saturdays after 13:00, Sundays and holidays. | No statutory meal or rest break during the workday. Collective agreements usually set them. |
| Australia | The NES sets a 38-hour ordinary week but no overtime rate. The overtime rate comes from the Modern Award; rows show the General Retail Industry Award 2020 pattern (1.5x for the first 3 overtime hours, 2x after). | The NES has no break rule; breaks come from the Modern Award. Rows show the General Retail Award: paid 10-minute rest breaks and unpaid 30 to 60 minute meal breaks by shift length. |
| Austria | Overtime past the normal 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week earns a 50% surcharge, or time off that includes the surcharge. | When the working day is over 6 hours, at least a 30-minute break. It is not working time. |
| Bahrain | Normal hours are 48 a week and 8 a day unless agreed otherwise. Overtime pays at least 25% extra by day and 50% extra at night. | Breaks for prayer, meals or rest totaling at least 30 minutes, arranged so no one works more than 6 consecutive hours. Unpaid. |
| Belgium | 50% premium for hours past 9 a day or 40 a week (or lower limits set by collective agreement). Overtime on Sundays and public holidays is paid at 100%. | A break is required once the working day exceeds 6 hours. With no collective agreement, it is at least 15 minutes, given no later than the 6-hour mark. |
| Brazil | At least 1.5x for hours past 8 a day or past the weekly limit (44 hours until mid-December 2026, then 42, then 40). | 15-minute break when work passes 4 hours (up to 6). Over 6 hours, a 1 to 2 hour meal/rest break. Breaks are unpaid and not counted as work time. |
| Canada 13 regions | Provinces and territories set overtime for most employers; see the regional entries. These rows are the federal Canada Labour Code rule for federally regulated employers: 1.5x after 8 hours a day or 40 a week, whichever gives more. | Federal rule: an unpaid 30-minute break for every 5 consecutive hours worked. Provinces set their own break rules. |
| Chile | 1.5x for hours past the 42-hour week (since 26 April 2026) or past a shorter agreed schedule. | A meal break of at least 30 minutes splits the workday. It is not counted as working time, so unpaid unless agreed otherwise. |
| China | At least 150% for extended hours on workdays, 200% for rest-day work with no make-up day off, 300% on statutory holidays. | No national statutory meal or rest break rule for adult workers. |
| Colombia | Daytime overtime 1.25x, night overtime 1.75x, past 8 hours a day or the weekly limit (42 hours, the final step of Ley 2101, reached in 2026). | The workday must be split into at least two sections with a reasonable rest. The law sets no minimum length, and the rest is unpaid. |
| Costa Rica | 1.5x for hours past the ordinary day (8 day, 7 mixed, 6 night) or the 48-hour week (36 at night). | A continuous shift must include at least 30 minutes of rest, counted and paid as work time. A split shift needs at least 1 hour of unpaid rest. |
| Denmark | No statutory overtime premium. Overtime pay is set by collective agreements or the employment contract. | An employee working more than 6 hours a day is entitled to a break long enough to serve its purpose. The law sets no fixed length, so there is no minute rule to model. |
| Dominican Republic | At least 35% extra for hours past the normal day (8) or week (44), up to 68 hours a week. 100% extra past 68 hours. | The workday must be broken by a rest of at least 1 hour after 4 consecutive hours (1.5 hours after 5). Unpaid unless the worker must stay on site. |
| Ecuador | Overtime past 8 hours a day or 40 a week is paid at 1.5x up to midnight and 2x between midnight and 06:00. Saturday and Sunday work is paid at 2x. | No mandatory paid or unpaid break in a continuous shift. A split shift by agreement must include a 30-minute to 2-hour rest after the first 4 hours. |
| Egypt | Normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week. Overtime pays at least 35% extra by day and 70% extra at night. | Breaks totaling at least 1 hour a day, with no more than 5 consecutive hours of work. Unpaid. |
| France | Legal week is 35 hours. Default overtime premium is 25% for the 36th to 43rd hour and 50% from the 44th hour in the week. | A pause of at least 20 consecutive minutes once daily work reaches 6 hours. It is generally unpaid unless the employee stays at the employer's disposal or an agreement says otherwise. |
| Germany | No statutory overtime premium. The Working Hours Act limits hours but sets no overtime pay; any surcharge comes from the contract, a works agreement or a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag). | Unpaid breaks fixed in advance: 30 minutes total for more than 6 up to 9 hours of work, 45 minutes total for more than 9 hours. No one may work more than 6 hours in a row without a break. |
| Ghana | Maximum hours are 8 a day or 40 a week. The Act sets no overtime rate; an undertaking must fix its own overtime rates before requiring overtime. | Where normal hours are continuous, a break of at least 30 minutes that counts as working time. A split shift needs a break of at least 1 hour, unpaid. |
| Greece | On a 5-day week, hours 41 to 45 are overwork paid at +20%, and hours past 45 are overtime paid at +40%. | When the working day is over 4 hours, a break of at least 15 and at most 30 minutes must be given. It is not working time. |
| Guatemala | At least 1.5x for hours past the ordinary day (8 day, 7 mixed, 6 night) or week (44 day, 42 mixed, 36 night), or past a shorter agreed schedule. | A continuous shift includes at least 30 minutes of rest, counted and paid as work time. |
| Hong Kong | No statutory working hours limit or overtime premium for adults. Overtime pay is whatever the contract says. | No statutory meal or rest break requirement for adult employees. |
| Iceland | No overtime rate in statute. Collective agreements, which apply to all workers in their field under Act 55/1980, pay overtime past 8 hours a day and 40 a week at about 1.8x. | A rest break of at least 15 minutes on any workday over 6 hours. Collective agreements add paid coffee breaks (usually 35 minutes a day) and an unpaid 30 to 60 minute lunch. |
| India 12 states | 2x the ordinary wage for work over 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week, counted daily or weekly, whichever is better for the worker. Max 144 overtime hours a quarter under the central rules. | No more than 5 hours of continuous work, then an interval of at least 30 minutes (S.O. 2517(E), May 2026). |
| Indonesia | First overtime hour at 1.5x the hourly wage, each later hour at 2x. Hourly wage = 1/173 of monthly wage. Rows show the 5-day week (8 hours a day, 40 a week). | At least 30 minutes of rest after 4 consecutive hours of work, not counted as working time. |
| Ireland | No statutory overtime premium. There is no legal right to extra pay for overtime; rates come from the contract or sector agreements. | A 15-minute break after more than 4.5 hours and a 30-minute break after more than 6 hours (the 30 can include the first 15). Breaks are unpaid unless the contract says otherwise. |
| Italy | Normal hours are 40 a week. Overtime must be paid with premiums, but the law leaves the rate to national collective agreements (CCNL), so there is no single statutory rate. | When the working day is over 6 hours, a break is required. Its length is set by collective agreement; without one it must be at least 10 minutes. |
| Japan | 25% premium for hours past 8 a day or 40 a week. Overtime past 60 hours in a month is paid at 50%. | A break of at least 45 minutes when work exceeds 6 hours, and 1 hour when it exceeds 8 hours. |
| Jordan | Normal hours are 8 a day and 48 a week over up to 6 days. Overtime, with consent, pays at least 125% of regular pay. | No statutory meal or rest break for adult workers. Employers with 10 or more workers must set rest periods in internal regulations. |
| Kenya | Normal hours are 52 a week (60 for night workers). Overtime pays 1.5x, and rest day or public holiday work pays 2x. | No general statutory meal or rest break found for adults. |
| Kuwait | Normal hours are 8 a day and 48 a week. Overtime pays a 25% increase over normal pay. | No more than 5 consecutive hours without a break of at least 1 hour, not counted as working time. |
| Malaysia | 1.5x the hourly rate for hours past the normal hours of work (max 8 a day, 45 a week). Rest day overtime 2x, public holiday overtime 3x. | No more than 5 consecutive hours without a break of at least 30 minutes. |
| Malta | Where no Wage Regulation Order sets the rate, overtime is paid at 1.5x for work beyond a 40-hour week, averaged over 4 weeks or the shift cycle. | When the working day is longer than 6 hours, the worker gets an uninterrupted rest break of at least 15 minutes, away from the workstation, unless a collective agreement sets other terms. |
| Mexico | Double pay for overtime past 8 hours a day or the weekly limit (48 hours in 2026), triple pay once weekly overtime passes the yearly allowance (9 hours in 2026). | At least 30 minutes of rest during a continuous shift. It counts as paid work time if the worker cannot leave the workplace. |
| Morocco | Normal hours are 44 a week (2,288 a year) in non-agricultural work. Overtime pays 25% extra between 6 am and 9 pm and 50% extra between 9 pm and 6 am. | No general statutory meal or rest break for adults. |
| Netherlands | No statutory overtime premium. The law does not say how much extra pay overtime earns; it is left to the contract or collective agreement (cao). | Over 5.5 hours a shift gets a 30-minute unpaid break, and over 10 hours gets 45 minutes. Both can be split into parts of at least 15 minutes. |
| New Zealand | No statutory overtime premium. Overtime pay is whatever the employment agreement says, and every hour must be paid at least the minimum wage. | Paid 10-minute rest breaks and unpaid 30-minute meal breaks, set by the length of the work period. |
| Nigeria | No statutory overtime premium or maximum hours. Normal hours and overtime pay are set by agreement, collective bargaining or a wages board. | A worker at work 6 hours or more a day gets one or more rest intervals totaling at least 1 hour. |
| Oman | Normal hours are 8 a day and 40 a week. Overtime pays basic wage plus at least 25% by day and 50% at night. | One hour a day for rest and meals, not counted as working time, and no continuous work period longer than 6 hours. |
| Pakistan | Double the ordinary rate for hours past 9 in a day or 48 in a week (shops and non-seasonal factories). | Shops: no more than 6 continuous hours without a rest or meal interval of at least 1 hour. |
| Peru | At least 25% extra for the first 2 overtime hours in a day and 35% for each hour after that. | At least 45 minutes for a meal (refrigerio) in a continuous shift. Not part of working time, so unpaid unless a collective agreement says otherwise. |
| Philippines | Regular wage plus at least 25% for hours past 8 in a day. No weekly overtime threshold. | At least 60 minutes off for the regular meal, unpaid. Short rest periods during work are counted as hours worked. |
| Poland | Overtime past the 8-hour daily norm gets a 50% supplement, or 100% at night, on Sundays and holidays that are days off, or on a day off given for Sunday or holiday work. Hours that push the average week past 40 in the settlement period get 100%, unless they were already paid as daily overtime. | A paid 15-minute break when the daily working time is at least 6 hours, a second paid 15 minutes when it is over 9 hours, and a third when it is over 16 hours. |
| Portugal | Normal hours are 8 a day and 40 a week. Overtime on a working day pays +25% for the first hour and +37.5% for each later hour, for the first 100 overtime hours a year. | The working day must be broken by a rest interval of 1 to 2 hours so no one works more than 5 hours in a row (6 hours if the day is over 10 hours). |
| Puerto Rico | 1.5x for hours past 8 in a day or past 40 in the week, under local law on top of the FLSA. | A 1-hour unpaid meal period before the 6th consecutive hour, skippable if the day is 6 hours or less. A second meal after 10 hours, skippable if the day is 12 hours or less. |
| Qatar | Normal hours are 8 a day and 48 a week. Overtime pays basic wage plus at least 25%. | One or more breaks for prayer, rest and meals totaling 1 to 3 hours, unpaid, and no more than 5 consecutive hours of work. |
| Saudi Arabia | Normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week. Overtime pays the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic hourly wage. | A break of at least 30 minutes after every 5 consecutive hours, for rest, prayer and meals, unpaid. |
| Singapore | 1.5x the hourly basic rate for work beyond contractual hours (up to 9 a day or 44 a week on a 5-day week). Only for Part 4 employees. | No more than 6 consecutive hours without a break. Breaks are unpaid and not counted as hours of work. |
| South Africa | Ordinary hours are 45 a week, 9 a day for a 5-day week (8 a day for more than 5 days). Overtime pays at least 1.5x. | A meal interval of at least 1 continuous hour after more than 5 hours of continuous work. Unpaid unless the employee must work or be available. |
| South Korea | At least 50% extra for hours past 8 a day or 40 a week. Holiday work 50% extra up to 8 hours, 100% beyond. | A recess of at least 30 minutes for 4 hours of work, and at least 1 hour for 8 hours. Recess is unpaid and free for the employee to use. |
| Spain | No statutory overtime premium. Overtime (hours above the 40-hour annual average week) must be paid at no less than the ordinary hourly rate, or compensated with equivalent paid rest; the rate is set by collective agreement or contract. | A break of at least 15 minutes when a continuous working day exceeds 6 hours. It counts as paid working time only if a collective agreement or contract says so. |
| Sweden | No statutory overtime premium. The Working Hours Act limits overtime but says nothing about pay, which is set by collective agreements or the employment contract. | Breaks (raster) must be scheduled so no one works more than 5 hours in a row. The law sets no fixed length, so there is no minute rule to model. |
| Switzerland | Hours past the legal weekly maximum (45 hours for industry, office, technical and large-retail sales staff; 50 for everyone else) are Überzeit and earn at least a 25% surcharge. Hours past the contractual week but under the maximum (Überstunden) also earn 25% unless a written agreement or collective agreement says otherwise. | Minimum breaks of 15 minutes for a day over 5.5 hours, 30 minutes for over 7 hours, and 1 hour for over 9 hours. Breaks count as paid working time only if the worker may not leave the workplace. |
| Thailand | At least 1.5x the hourly rate for overtime on a working day (past 8 hours a day or 48 a week). Holiday overtime 3x. | A rest period of at least 1 hour a day after no more than 5 consecutive hours. Unpaid. |
| United Arab Emirates | Normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week. Overtime pays basic wage plus at least 25%. | No more than 5 consecutive hours without a break or breaks totaling at least 1 hour, not counted as working time. |
| United Kingdom | No statutory overtime premium. Employers do not have to pay extra for overtime; any overtime rate comes from the employment contract. | One uninterrupted 20-minute rest break when the working day is more than 6 hours. It does not have to be paid unless the contract says so. |
| United States 51 states | 1.5x after 40 hours in the workweek. No federal daily overtime. A few states add daily overtime on top. | No federal break requirement. Breaks of 5 to 20 minutes, if given, are paid. A meal of 30 minutes or more, fully relieved of duty, can be unpaid. |
| Uruguay | Hours past the daily limit (8) are paid at 2x on working days and 2.5x on rest days and holidays. | Continuous shift: a 30-minute paid break that counts as work time. Split shift: an unpaid 2 to 2.5 hour break. |
| Vietnam | At least 150% on normal days, 200% on weekly days off and 300% on public holidays and paid leave days. | At least 30 consecutive minutes for 6+ hours a day (45 minutes for night work). |
General information, not legal advice. Collective agreements, awards and contracts can give more than the law.