Overtime and Break Laws in Italy (2026)
Decreto Legislativo 8 aprile 2003, n. 66 (working time), arts. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
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.
Breaks and lunch
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.
Overtime in Italy
The law sets no overtime premium of its own here. What overtime pays is up to the employment contract or the collective agreement.
- Overtime must be counted separately and paid with the pay premiums set by the collective agreement.
- Without an applicable collective agreement, overtime needs employer and worker agreement and is capped at 250 hours a year.
- Average weekly hours, overtime included, may not exceed 48 per 7-day period, averaged over up to 4 months (6 or 12 months by collective agreement).
- Collective agreements can set a shorter normal week and average normal hours over up to a year.
Averaging over a pay period: Allowed by collective agreement: normal hours can be averaged over up to 1 year; the 48-hour cap is averaged over 4 months (extendable to 6 or 12).
Breaks and lunch in Italy
- Rest break: 1 × 10 minutes, unpaid, for shifts of 6 hours or more.
| Shift | Rest breaks | Meal break |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | None | None |
| 6 hours | 1 × 10 min, unpaid | None |
| 8 hours | 1 × 10 min, unpaid | None |
| 10 hours | 1 × 10 min, unpaid | None |
| 12 hours | 1 × 10 min, unpaid | None |
- The break can be taken at the workplace. Pay for the break is set by collective agreement; the statute does not require it to be paid.
- Daily rest of 11 consecutive hours in every 24 hours.
- Weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours every 7 days, usually Sunday, on top of daily rest, averaged over up to 14 days.
Pay by Italy rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick Italy: 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 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.
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in Italy?
Allowed by collective agreement: normal hours can be averaged over up to 1 year; the 48-hour cap is averaged over 4 months (extendable to 6 or 12).
What breaks are required in Italy?
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.