Overtime and Break Laws in Ghana (2026)
Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
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.
Breaks and lunch
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.
Overtime in Ghana
The law sets no overtime premium of its own here. What overtime pays is up to the employment contract or the collective agreement.
- Overtime cannot be required unless the undertaking has fixed rates for it (s. 35(2)). 1.5x is common practice, not law.
- Overtime can only be compelled where the business needs it to be viable or in emergencies threatening life or property (s. 35(3)).
- Hours may be averaged: up to 9 hours on some days within 40 a week, or averaged over 4 weeks; seasonal work up to 10 hours a day averaged over a year (s. 34).
- Shift work averaged over 4 weeks may not exceed 8 a day or 40 a week (s. 36).
Averaging over a pay period: Allowed: average over 4 weeks or less (1 year for seasonal work, max 10 hours a day).
Breaks and lunch in Ghana
- Rest break: 1 × 30 minutes, paid, on any shift.
| Shift | Rest breaks | Meal break |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | 1 × 30 min, paid | None |
| 6 hours | 1 × 30 min, paid | None |
| 8 hours | 1 × 30 min, paid | None |
| 10 hours | 1 × 30 min, paid | None |
| 12 hours | 1 × 30 min, paid | None |
- The Act gives no minimum shift length for the 30-minute break, so afterHours is 0.
- Where hours are in two parts, the break is at least 1 hour and is not working time (s. 40(b)).
- Daily rest of at least 12 continuous hours (s. 41) and weekly rest of 48 consecutive hours, preferably Saturday and Sunday (s. 42).
Pay by Ghana rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick Ghana: the overtime and break rules above fill in, and every timesheet, report and payroll export follows them. Change any number to match your own contract.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rule in 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.
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in Ghana?
Allowed: average over 4 weeks or less (1 year for seasonal work, max 10 hours a day).
What breaks are required in Ghana?
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.