Overtime Rules & Maximum Working Hours by Country (2026)

At a glance

France has the shortest legal week of the countries below at 35 hours, followed by Australia and Belgium at 38 and Colombia at 42. Most of the rest set 40 hours, while Brazil and Singapore (44), Malaysia and South Africa (45), India's six-day week, and Argentina, Thailand, Vietnam and the UAE (48) allow more.
Mexico is cutting its week from 48 hours in 2026 to 40 hours by 2030, two hours a year, with no reduction in pay.
The EU's 48-hour average runs through Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands' rules, and the UK keeps it with an individual opt-out.
Overtime premiums range from 25% to 300%: 25% in the Philippines, Switzerland, Portugal (first hour) and the UAE; 50% in Brazil, South Korea, Poland and Argentina; 1.5× in Ontario, Singapore, South Africa and Thailand; up to 300% on public holidays in China and Vietnam.
Some countries cap overtime itself: 2 hours a day in Brazil and the UAE, 10 a week in South Africa, 45 a month and 360 a year in Japan, 46 a month in Taiwan, 72 a month in Singapore, and 200 a year in Sweden and Vietnam.

Working hours and overtime by country

Country	In short	What the law says	Law
Argentina	8/day, 48/week; overtime +50% (+100% Sat pm, Sun, holidays)	Up to 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week; these are maximums, and shorter hours are allowed (check the applicable collective agreement). Night work (9 pm to 6 am) is limited to 7 hours, and designated unhealthy work to 6 hours a day or 36 a week. Management and supervisory roles are excepted from the limits. Overtime pay is set out in the overtime rule below. Overtime is paid with a 50% premium on ordinary days and 100% on Saturdays after 1 pm, Sundays and public holidays. Since the 2026 reform, employer and employee can agree in writing to an hours bank or compensatory time off, respecting minimum rest periods.	Jornada de trabajo (Law 11.544); Ley de Contrato de Trabajo (Law 20.744)
Australia	38 ordinary hours/week plus reasonable additional hours	Maximum of 38 ordinary hours a week, plus reasonable additional hours.	National Employment Standards
Austria	8/day, 40/week; 12/day and 60/week with overtime	Normal working time is 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Including overtime, working time may not exceed 12 hours a day and 60 hours a week.	Arbeitszeitgesetz §§ 3, 9
Belgium	38/week on average (8/day, 40/week limits)	Working time may not exceed 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, and since 1 January 2003 all companies must have reduced the working week to 38 hours, on average or in practice. Sector agreements can set fewer hours.	Durée du travail et diminution de la durée de travail
Brazil	8/day, 44/week; overtime max 2/day at +50%	Up to 8 hours a day and 44 hours a week. Overtime is limited to 2 hours a day and paid at least 50% above the normal hourly rate. Establishments with more than 20 workers must record start and finish times.	Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho (CLT)
Canada	Ontario: 8/day, 48/week; overtime 1.5× over 44/week	Up to 8 hours a day (or the established regular workday, if longer) and 48 hours a week. Either limit can be exceeded only by an electronic or written agreement, made after the employer gives the employee the Ministry's hours of work and overtime information sheet; the employee can cancel it with 2 weeks' written notice. Employees must get at least 11 consecutive hours off each day, 8 hours between shifts, and 24 consecutive hours off each week (or 48 in every two weeks). An agreement to work longer hours doesn't remove the obligation to pay overtime. 1.5× the regular rate for hours over 44 in a work week, including for employees on a fixed salary (the salary covers hours up to 44). By written or electronic agreement, overtime can be banked as 1.5 hours of paid time off per overtime hour, taken within 3 months (or 12 months if agreed); unused banked time is paid out when employment ends. Managers and supervisors whose work is managerial or supervisory are exempt, and some other job categories are exempt or have a higher threshold (Ontario's special rule tool lists them).	Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Hours of work; Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Overtime pay
China	8/day, 40/week; overtime 150%/200%/300%	Standard hours are 8 a day and 40 a week. Overtime is paid at at least 150% on working days, 200% on rest days without time off in lieu, and 300% on statutory holidays. State Council Provisions on Working Hours art. 3; Labour Law art. 44.	国务院关于职工工作时间的规定
Colombia	8/day, 42/week; overtime +25% day, +75% night	Up to 8 hours a day and 42 hours a week (the end point of the gradual reduction under Law 2101 of 2021), spread over five or six days by agreement, always with a rest day and without cutting pay. By agreement, days can vary from 4 to 9 hours with no overtime due as long as the week averages 42 hours. Directors and positions of trust or management are excluded from the maximum-hours rules. Night work carries a 35% surcharge on the daytime rate. Daytime overtime is paid with a 25% surcharge and night overtime with a 75% surcharge, both on the ordinary daytime rate (so 125% and 175% of it). Surcharges are applied one at a time, not added together.	Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, arts. 160-162; Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, art. 168
France	35-hour legal week; more is overtime	The legal working week for full-time employees is 35 hours of actual work. Hours beyond it are overtime. Executives can work under a days-based arrangement (forfait jours) instead.	Labour Code (Code du travail)
Germany	8/day (10 if averaged to 8)	Working time may not exceed 8 hours per working day (Monday to Saturday). It can be extended to 10 hours only if the average over six calendar months or 24 weeks stays at 8 hours a day.	Working Hours Act (ArbZG)
India	8/day, 6 days/week; overtime at 2×	A 'worker' may work at most 8 hours a day and 6 days a week. Overtime beyond the hours the government prescribes is paid at twice the ordinary wage rate. Governments set intervals and spread-over by notification. Managerial staff, and supervisors earning above the threshold, are not 'workers' (OSH Code, ss. 25–27).	Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Gazette of India text)
Ireland	48/week average	Maximum average working week of 48 hours, usually averaged over up to 4 months. At least 11 consecutive hours' rest in each 24 hours and 24 consecutive hours' rest in each 7 days (Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, ss. 11, 13, 15).	Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (revised) and S.I. No. 50 of 2022
Italy	40/week normal, 48 average max; 250 overtime hours/year without CBA	The normal working week is 40 hours; collective agreements can set fewer hours or average them over up to a year. Average weekly working time, including overtime, can't exceed 48 hours, measured over up to four months (extendable to six or twelve months by collective agreement). Overtime must be kept limited and is paid separately at the premiums set by the collective agreement, which can also allow compensatory rest instead of or as well as the premium. Without an applicable collective agreement, overtime needs the employee's agreement and is capped at 250 hours a year.	D.Lgs. 66/2003 (working time)
Japan	8/day, 40/week; overtime 45/month, 360/year cap	No more than 40 hours a week and 8 hours a day, excluding breaks. Breaks of at least 45 minutes when working more than 6 hours and 1 hour when working more than 8. At least one day off a week (or four in four weeks). Labor Standards Act, Articles 32, 34 and 35. Overtime or work on days off requires a written agreement with the majority union or employee representative, filed with the labour office. The normal cap is 45 hours a month and 360 a year; even in special circumstances, under 100 hours a month and 720 a year. Labor Standards Act, Article 36. Premiums of at least 25% for overtime and work on days off (the exact rates are set by Cabinet Order between 25% and 50%), at least 50% for overtime beyond 60 hours a month, and at least 25% for night work between 10pm and 5am. Labor Standards Act, Article 37.	Labor Standards Act (Act No. 49 of 1947)
Malaysia	8/day, 45/week	An employee may not be required to work more than 8 hours a day or 45 hours a week, more than 5 consecutive hours without a break of at least 30 minutes, or over a spread of more than 10 hours a day.	Employment Act 1955 (Act 265), reprint as at 1 August 2023
Mexico	8/day; 48/week in 2026, falling to 40 by 2030	Maximum 8 hours a day for day shifts. The May 2026 reform cuts the maximum week from 48 hours (2026) to 46 (2027), 44 (2028), 42 (2029) and 40 hours (2030), with no reduction in pay. Overtime is paid at 100% extra up to a weekly limit (9 hours in 2026, rising to 12 by 2030) and 200% extra beyond it.	Federal Labour Law (Ley Federal del Trabajo)
Netherlands	Max 12/shift, 60/week (48 averaged over 16 weeks)	There is no statutory standard week, but adults may work at most 12 hours per shift and 60 hours a week. Averages: at most 55 hours a week over 4 weeks and 48 hours a week over 16 weeks (Working Hours Act, art. 5:7).	Arbeidstijdenwet (Working Hours Act), art. 5:7
Nigeria	Set by agreement; overtime beyond normal hours	Normal hours are fixed by agreement, collective bargaining or an industrial wages board; hours beyond them are overtime. A worker on six hours or more a day must get rest intervals totalling at least one hour. Labour Act, s. 13.	Labour Act, Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004
Norway	9 per 24 hours, 40 per 7 days	Normal working time may not exceed 9 hours in 24 hours or 40 hours in 7 days, unless averaged under the rules or shortened by agreement.	Arbeidstid
Philippines	8/day; overtime +25%	Normal hours may not exceed 8 a day. Overtime is paid at the regular wage plus at least 25%, and work on a scheduled rest day or special holiday earns at least 30% extra. Labor Code arts. 83, 87 and 93. Overtime on a rest day or holiday is paid at that day's rate plus at least 30%.	Labor Code of the Philippines (renumbered, 2022 edition), including art. 103 (time of payment)
Poland	8/day, 40/week average; overtime +50% or +100%	Up to 8 hours a day and an average of 40 hours in an average five-day week, over a reference period of up to 4 months (extendable to 12). Overtime carries a 100% premium at night, on Sundays and on public holidays that aren't working days, and 50% otherwise.	Labour Code (Kodeks pracy)
Portugal	8/day, 40/week; overtime 150–200 hours/year	Normal working time is up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Overtime is capped at 2 hours on a working day and 175 hours a year (micro and small companies) or 150 hours (medium and large), raisable to 200 by collective agreement (arts. 203, 228). Up to 100 hours a year, overtime on a working day is paid at +25% for the first hour and +37.5% after that, and +50% on rest days and holidays. Above 100 hours, the rates are +50%, +75% and +100% (art. 268).	Labour Code (Código do Trabalho), Law 7/2009, consolidated
Singapore	44/week; overtime 1.5×, max 72 hours/month	Contractual hours are up to 44 a week: up to 9 hours a day for those working 5 days or fewer, or up to 8 hours a day for those working more than 5 days. Overtime can be claimed by non-workmen earning a basic salary of up to S$2,600 a month and workmen earning up to S$4,500. Overtime is paid at least 1.5× the hourly basic rate, within 14 days of the end of the salary period; for non-workmen the rate is capped at the S$2,600 salary level (S$13.60 an hour). No more than 12 hours of work a day and 72 overtime hours a month without an MOM exemption, and 1 unpaid rest day a week.	Hours of work, overtime and rest days
South Africa	45/week; overtime max 10/week at 1.5×	Up to 45 ordinary hours a week: no more than 9 hours a day for employees working five days or fewer a week, or 8 hours a day for those working more than five days. Only by agreement, up to 10 hours a week and no more than 12 hours of work in a day, paid at least 1.5× the normal wage; by agreement, partly or fully as paid time off instead. The working-time rules don't apply to senior managerial employees, travelling sales staff who set their own hours, or employees earning above a threshold set by the Minister.	Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997
South Korea	8/day, 40/week + 12 overtime; +50%	Working hours may not exceed 40 a week and 8 a day, excluding breaks. By agreement, they can be extended by up to 12 hours a week. Overtime and night work (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) are paid at least 50% on top of ordinary wages. Holiday work is paid at least 50% extra for up to 8 hours and 100% extra beyond 8 hours.	근로기준법 (Labor Standards Act)
Spain	40/week annual average, 9/day	Maximum 40 hours of actual work a week on an annual average, with at least 12 hours' rest between working days. Ordinary hours cannot exceed 9 a day unless a collective agreement or workplace agreement distributes them differently. A break of at least 15 minutes is required when a continuous working day exceeds six hours (art. 34).	Workers' Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores), consolidated text
Sweden	40/week; overtime 200 hours/year	Ordinary working time is at most 40 hours a week. General overtime is limited to 48 hours in four weeks or 50 hours in a calendar month, and 200 hours a year, with up to 150 hours of extra overtime in special circumstances. Working Hours Act, sections 5, 8 and 8 a. Collective agreements can set other limits.	Arbetstidslag (1982:673)
Switzerland	45 or 50/week max; overtime +25%	The maximum working week is 45 hours for industrial workers, office staff, technical and other employees, and 50 hours for all others. Labour Act, Article 9. Overtime that isn't compensated with time off of at least equal length must be paid at normal salary plus at least 25%, unless otherwise agreed in writing or set by a collective or standard employment contract. OR, Article 321c.	Arbeitsgesetz (ArG), SR 822.11, Art. 9; Obligationenrecht (OR), SR 220
Taiwan	8/day, 40/week; overtime max 46 hours/month	Normal hours may not exceed 8 a day and 40 a week, with two days off every seven. Overtime needs union or labour-management conference consent and is capped at 12 hours a day in total and 46 hours a month (54 a month and 138 a quarter with consent). Labor Standards Act arts. 30, 32 and 36. Overtime is paid at at least an extra one third of the hourly rate for the first 2 hours and an extra two thirds for the next 2 (art. 24).	Labor Standards Act (English, amended 2024-07-31)
Thailand	8/day, 48/week; overtime 1.5×, holidays 3×	Normal hours may not exceed 8 a day and 48 a week (7 and 42 for work hazardous to health). Overtime on a working day needs the employee's consent each time and is paid at at least 1.5 times the hourly rate; overtime on a holiday is paid at 3 times. Labour Protection Act ss. 23, 24, 61 and 63. Work on a holiday earns an extra 1 times the hourly rate for employees paid for holidays, or 2 times for those who aren't (s. 62).	Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), consolidated text to Act No. 7 (2019)
United Arab Emirates	8/day, 48/week; overtime +25% (+50% at night)	Normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week (Article 17), reduced by 2 hours a day during Ramadan. Employees get a break of at least one hour after 5 consecutive hours. Up to 2 extra hours a day, paid at basic pay plus 25%, or plus 50% between 10pm and 4am (not for shift workers). Work on a rest day earns a substitute day or basic pay plus 50%.	Working hours and overtime
United Kingdom	48/week average unless opted out	Working time, including overtime, may not exceed an average of 48 hours a week, normally averaged over 17 weeks, unless the worker agrees in writing to opt out. The worker can end an opt-out with at least seven days' notice (or the notice in the agreement, up to three months). Working Time Regulations 1998, regulations 4 and 5.	Working Time Regulations 1998
Vietnam	8/day, 48/week; overtime 40/month, 200/year	Normal hours may not exceed 8 a day and 48 a week (10 a day on a weekly schedule). Overtime needs the employee's consent and is limited to 40 hours a month and 200 a year (300 in some sectors). Labour Code arts. 105 and 107. Overtime is paid at at least 150% on normal days, 200% on weekly rest days and 300% on public holidays (art. 98).	Labour Code No. 45/2019/QH14, consolidated text

Overtime caps

Per day: 2 hours in Brazil, Portugal (on a working day) and the UAE; total working time of 12 hours a day in Austria, Singapore, South Africa and Taiwan.
Per week or month: 10 hours a week in South Africa, 12 a week in South Korea, 40 a month in Vietnam, 45 a month in Japan, 46 a month in Taiwan (54 with consent) and 72 a month in Singapore.
Per year: 150 to 200 hours in Portugal, 200 in Sweden (plus up to 150 in special circumstances), 200 in Vietnam (300 in some sectors), 250 in Italy without a collective agreement, and 360 in Japan (720 in special circumstances).

Who is exempt

Managers and senior staff are outside the limits in Argentina (management and supervisory roles), Colombia (directors and positions of trust), Ontario (managerial and supervisory work), India (managers and well-paid supervisors aren't 'workers') and South Africa (senior managers and some high earners).
France lets executives work on a days-based arrangement (forfait jours) instead of hours.
Singapore's overtime rules cover only non-workmen earning up to S$2,600 a month and workmen earning up to S$4,500.

Working hours when you hire through an EOR

The EOR's employment contract sets the hours, and local law and any collective agreement override it. Overtime is a cost of the hire: the EOR pays it through payroll and bills you, so agree how overtime is approved and recorded before the employee starts.

Exempt-status rules don't travel: a role that's exempt from overtime in one country may be covered in another, as Singapore's salary thresholds show. For the leave side of the same question, see annual leave by country.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum working week in the UK?

Working time, including overtime, may not exceed an average of 48 hours a week, normally averaged over 17 weeks, unless the worker agrees in writing to opt out. The worker can end an opt-out with at least seven days' notice (or the notice in the agreement, up to three months). Working Time Regulations 1998, regulations 4 and 5.

How much is overtime paid in Brazil?

Up to 8 hours a day and 44 hours a week. Overtime is limited to 2 hours a day and paid at least 50% above the normal hourly rate. Establishments with more than 20 workers must record start and finish times.

What are the overtime limits in Japan?

No more than 40 hours a week and 8 hours a day, excluding breaks. Breaks of at least 45 minutes when working more than 6 hours and 1 hour when working more than 8. At least one day off a week (or four in four weeks). Labor Standards Act, Articles 32, 34 and 35. Overtime or work on days off requires a written agreement with the majority union or employee representative, filed with the labour office. The normal cap is 45 hours a month and 360 a year; even in special circumstances, under 100 hours a month and 720 a year. Labor Standards Act, Article 36. Premiums of at least 25% for overtime and work on days off (the exact rates are set by Cabinet Order between 25% and 50%), at least 50% for overtime beyond 60 hours a month, and at least 25% for night work between 10pm and 5am. Labor Standards Act, Article 37.

Is Mexico reducing the working week?

Maximum 8 hours a day for day shifts. The May 2026 reform cuts the maximum week from 48 hours (2026) to 46 (2027), 44 (2028), 42 (2029) and 40 hours (2030), with no reduction in pay. Overtime is paid at 100% extra up to a weekly limit (9 hours in 2026, rising to 12 by 2030) and 200% extra beyond it.

How many hours can you work in Germany?

Working time may not exceed 8 hours per working day (Monday to Saturday). It can be extended to 10 hours only if the average over six calendar months or 24 weeks stays at 8 hours a day.

What is the legal working week in France?

The legal working week for full-time employees is 35 hours of actual work. Hours beyond it are overtime. Executives can work under a days-based arrangement (forfait jours) instead.

Sources

1
Argentina: Jornada de trabajo (Law 11.544)
Argentina.gob.ar
Working hours law, in force: 8 hours a day or 48 a week (art. 1), night and unhealthy work (art. 2), exceptions including management and supervisory roles (art. 3).
2
Argentina: Ley de Contrato de Trabajo (Law 20.744)
Argentina.gob.ar (InfoLEG)
Consolidated text including Law 27.802 (6 March 2026): trial period (art. 92 bis), aguinaldo (arts. 121–122), vacation (arts. 150–155), overtime (arts. 197 bis, 201), notice (arts. 231–233) and severance (art. 245).
3
Australia: National Employment Standards
Fair Work Ombudsman
Hours, leave, notice, redundancy and other minimum entitlements.
4
Austria: Arbeitszeitgesetz §§ 3, 9
RIS (Bundeskanzleramt)
Normal working time of 8 hours a day and 40 a week; maximum 12 hours a day and 60 a week.
5
Belgium: Durée du travail et diminution de la durée de travail
FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue
8 hours a day and 40 a week, with all companies at 38 hours a week since 1 January 2003.
6
Brazil: Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho (CLT)
Presidência da República (planalto.gov.br)
Art. 29 (work card), 58–59 (working time, overtime), 74 §2 (time records), 130 and 134 (leave), 392 (maternity), 445 and 451 (fixed-term and experience contracts).
7
Canada: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Hours of work
Government of Ontario
Daily and weekly limits on hours of work.
8
Canada: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Overtime pay
Government of Ontario
Overtime threshold, rate and exemptions.
9
China: 国务院关于职工工作时间的规定
National Administrative Regulations Database, Ministry of Justice
Art. 3: 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week.
10
Colombia: Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, arts. 160-162
Secretaría del Senado (Colombia)
Day and night work (Law 2466 of 2025) and the 42-hour maximum working week.
11
Colombia: Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, art. 168
Secretaría del Senado (Colombia)
Night work 35%, daytime overtime 25% and night overtime 75% surcharges.
12
France: Labour Code (Code du travail)
Légifrance
Current text of arts. L8241-1 (staff lending), L1221-2, L1242-8 and L1242-8-1 (CDI and CDD), L1221-19 and L1221-21 (probation), L3121-27 (35-hour week), L3141-3 (paid leave), L1234-1 (notice), L1232-1, L1234-9 and R1234-2 (dismissal and severance).
13
Germany: Working Hours Act (ArbZG)
gesetze-im-internet.de
Daily working-time limits and rest periods.
14
India: Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Gazette of India text)
Ministry of Labour and Employment
s. 6(1)(f) (appointment letters), ss. 25–27 (hours, weekly holidays, overtime at twice the wage rate), s. 32 (annual leave with wages).
15
Ireland: Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (revised) and S.I. No. 50 of 2022
Law Reform Commission (Revised Acts) / Irish Statute Book
ss. 11, 13, 15 (rest and 48-hour average week), s. 19 (4 weeks' leave), s. 21 and Schedule 2 (public holidays). S.I. 50/2022 (https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/50/made/en/print) adds the St Brigid's Day holiday.
16
Italy: D.Lgs. 66/2003 (working time)
Normattiva
Normal 40-hour week (art. 3), 48-hour average maximum (art. 4), overtime (art. 5) and annual leave (art. 10).
17
Japan: Labor Standards Act (Act No. 49 of 1947)
Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice)
Articles 15, 20, 32, 34–37, 39, 65 and 89. Translation of the version as amended by Act No. 71 of 2018.
18
Malaysia: Employment Act 1955 (Act 265), reprint as at 1 August 2023
Attorney General's Chambers (Laws of Malaysia)
Notice (s 12), maternity (s 37), hours (s 60A), holidays (s 60D), annual leave (s 60E), sick leave (s 60F), paternity (s 60FA), and the RM4,000 exclusions in First Schedule para 1A.
19
Mexico: Federal Labour Law (Ley Federal del Trabajo)
Cámara de Diputados
Consolidated text, last reform DOF 14-05-2026: subcontracting (arts. 12–15), written conditions and contract duration (arts. 24, 35, 37), probation (art. 39-A), dismissal and compensation (arts. 47–50), working time, vacation, aguinaldo, PTU (art. 127), seniority premium (art. 162), suspension of pay during illness (art. 42), public holidays and double pay (arts. 74–75), paternity leave (art. 132-XXVII Bis) and maternity leave (art. 170) and pay periods (art. 88).
20
Netherlands: Arbeidstijdenwet (Working Hours Act), art. 5:7
wetten.overheid.nl
Adults: at most 12 hours per shift, 60 hours a week, an average of 55 hours over 4 weeks and 48 hours over 16 weeks.
21
Nigeria: Labour Act, Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004
National Library of Nigeria (Compendium of Acts relating to the jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria)
Ss. 11 (notice), 13 (hours), 16 (sick pay), 18 (annual holiday), 20 (redundancy), 54 (maternity) and 91 (definition of 'worker').
22
Norway: Arbeidstid
Arbeidstilsynet
Normal working time of 9 hours in 24 hours and 40 hours in 7 days.
23
Philippines: Labor Code of the Philippines (renumbered, 2022 edition), including art. 103 (time of payment)
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
Arts. 83, 87, 93 (hours, overtime, rest days), 95 (service incentive leave), 106 (contracting), 292(b), 294, 296–298 (probation and termination).
24
Poland: Labour Code (Kodeks pracy)
Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych (ISAP)
Unified text as of 14 Oct 2026 (t.j. Dz. U. 2026 poz. 1245): probation (art. 25), fixed-term limits (art. 25¹), written form (art. 29), termination and reasons (art. 30), notice (art. 36), working time (art. 129), overtime (art. 151¹), annual leave (arts. 154–155), sick pay (art. 92), maternity leave (art. 180), parental leave (art. 182¹ᵃ, 182¹ᶜ), paternity leave (art. 182³) and childcare leave (art. 186) and payment of wages (art. 85).
25
Portugal: Labour Code (Código do Trabalho), Law 7/2009, consolidated
Diário da República
Arts. 40, 41, 43 and 65 (parental leave, the mother's and father's exclusive leave, and pay during leave), 112 (probation), 131 (training), 140–149 (fixed-term contracts), 168 (telework expenses), 203, 228 and 268 (working time and overtime), 234–239 (holidays and leave), 263–264 (allowances), 351–373 (dismissal and compensation) 278 (when pay is due) and 400 (resignation notice).
26
Singapore: Hours of work, overtime and rest days
Ministry of Manpower
44-hour week, overtime pay and the 72-hour monthly cap for Part 4 employees.
27
South Africa: Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997
South African Government
Department of Labour consolidated text as amended to 2002: hours (s9), overtime (s10), Sunday and holiday pay (ss16, 18), annual leave (s20), sick leave (s22), notice (s37) and severance (s41).
28
South Korea: 근로기준법 (Labor Standards Act)
Ministry of Government Legislation (law.go.kr)
Scope (art. 11), dismissal (arts. 23, 24, 26, 27), working hours (arts. 50, 53), holidays (art. 55), premiums (art. 56), annual leave (art. 60) maternity leave (art. 74) and payment of wages (art. 43). Version in force from 8 October 2026. English translation on elaw.klri.re.kr.
29
Spain: Workers' Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores), consolidated text
Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE)
Arts. 8.3 (contract notification), 29 (payment of wages), 14 (probation), 15 (fixed-term contracts), 31 (extra payments), 34 (working time and time recording), 37.2 (public holidays), 38 (annual leave), 43 (worker transfer), 45.2 (effect of suspension), 48.4 (birth leave), 48 bis (parental leave), 49.1.d (resignation), 52–54 and 56 (dismissal). Consolidated text updated 21 October 2026.
30
Sweden: Arbetstidslag (1982:673)
Sveriges riksdag
Section 5 (40-hour ordinary week), 8 (general overtime: 48 hours in four weeks or 50 in a month, 200 a year) and 8 a (extra overtime up to 150 hours).
31
Switzerland: Arbeitsgesetz (ArG), SR 822.11, Art. 9
Fedlex (Swiss federal law)
Maximum working week: 45 hours for office, technical and industrial staff; 50 hours for others.
32
Switzerland: Obligationenrecht (OR), SR 220
Fedlex (Swiss federal law)
Arts. 321c (overtime), 324a (sick pay), 329a (holidays), 329f–329g (maternity and other-parent leave), 335b–335c (probation and notice), 336c (protected periods). Stand am 1. Oktober 2026.
33
Taiwan: Labor Standards Act (English, amended 2024-07-31)
Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ministry of Justice
Arts. 2 and 9 (dispatched workers, contracts), 11 and 16 (termination and notice), 17 (old-system severance), 17-1, 22-1 and 63-1 (dispatch), 24, 30, 32 and 36 (hours and overtime), 37–39 (holidays and annual leave), 50 (maternity leave).
34
Thailand: Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), consolidated text to Act No. 7 (2019)
Office of the Council of State (Krisdika), hosted by the Ministry of Labour
Ss. 11/1 (supplied workers), 17 and 17/1 (notice), 23–24 and 61–63 (hours and overtime), 28–30 (rest days, holidays, annual leave), 32, 34, 57 and 57/1 (sick and personal leave), 118–119 (severance).
35
United Arab Emirates: Working hours and overtime
The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)
8 hours a day or 48 a week (Article 17); overtime at 25% or 50%; rest-day work at 50%. Updated 12 August 2026.
36
United Kingdom: Working Time Regulations 1998
legislation.gov.uk
48-hour week and opt-out (regs 4–5); annual leave (regs 13–13A).
37
Vietnam: Labour Code No. 45/2019/QH14, consolidated text
Official Gazette (Công báo) No. 131, 28 February 2026
Arts. 20, 24–26 (contracts, probation), 35–37 (termination and notice), 46–47 (severance and job-loss allowances), 52–58 (labour outsourcing), 98, 104–107 (pay, bonuses, hours), 112–114 (holidays, leave), 139 (maternity), 151–155 (foreign workers), 168 (insurance).