Overtime and Break Laws in Qatar (2026)
Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
Normal hours are 8 a day and 48 a week. Overtime pays basic wage plus at least 25%.
Breaks and lunch
One or more breaks for prayer, rest and meals totaling 1 to 3 hours, unpaid, and no more than 5 consecutive hours of work.
Overtime in Qatar
- 1.25x pay for hours past 8 in a day.
- 1.25x pay for hours past 48 in a week.
- Non-shift workers working between 9 pm and 6 am get basic wage plus at least 50% (Art. 74).
- Work on the weekly rest day: a substitute day off plus the rest-day pay or basic wage plus at least 150% (Art. 75). Same rule for paid holidays (Art. 78).
- Actual hours may not exceed 10 a day except to prevent gross loss or a dangerous accident (Art. 74).
- Ramadan: 6 hours a day, 36 a week (Art. 73).
- Senior staff holding employer authority over workers are excluded from Arts. 73-75; preparatory work, guards and cleaners are excluded from Art. 73 (Art. 76).
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 Qatar
- 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 |
- Breaks are not counted as working time (Art. 73).
- Commuting time is not working time.
- Paid weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, usually Friday; no two consecutive Fridays worked except shift workers (Art. 75).
Pay by Qatar rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick Qatar: 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 Qatar?
Normal hours are 8 a day and 48 a week. Overtime pays basic wage plus at least 25%.
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in Qatar?
Not allowed
What breaks are required in Qatar?
One or more breaks for prayer, rest and meals totaling 1 to 3 hours, unpaid, and no more than 5 consecutive hours of work.