Overtime and Break Laws in Kuwait (2026)
Private Sector Labour Law No. 6 of 2010 · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
Normal hours are 8 a day and 48 a week. Overtime pays a 25% increase over normal pay.
Breaks and lunch
No more than 5 consecutive hours without a break of at least 1 hour, not counted as working time.
Overtime in Kuwait
- 1.25x pay for hours past 8 in a day.
- 1.25x pay for hours past 48 in a week.
- Overtime is capped at 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, 180 hours a year and 90 days a year (Art. 66).
- Overtime may only be required to prevent or repair a dangerous accident, avoid a loss, or meet an unusual workload.
- Ramadan: maximum 36 hours a week.
- Paid weekly rest of 24 continuous hours after every 6 working days (Art. 67).
Averaging over a pay period: Not allowed
What two weeks of work come to
Worked out by the rule above (1.25x after 48h in a week, 1.25x after 8h in a day). Hours.
| Two weeks of | Regular | Overtime (1.25x) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days of 8 hours, two weeks (80h) | 80 | 0 |
| 5 days of 10 hours, two weeks (100h) | 80 | 20 |
| 6 days of 9 hours, two weeks (108h) | 96 | 12 |
| 50 hours, then 30 hours (80h) | 70 | 10 |
Breaks and lunch in Kuwait
- Meal break: 1 × 60 minutes, unpaid, for shifts of 5 hours or more.
| Shift | Rest breaks | Meal break |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | None | None |
| 6 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 8 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 10 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 12 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
- In the financial, commercial and investment sectors, working hours are 8 consecutive hours, so this break rule does not apply the same way.
Pay by Kuwait rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick Kuwait: 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 Kuwait?
Normal hours are 8 a day and 48 a week. Overtime pays a 25% increase over normal pay.
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in Kuwait?
Not allowed
What breaks are required in Kuwait?
No more than 5 consecutive hours without a break of at least 1 hour, not counted as working time.