Working Hours and Overtime in Montenegro

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Montenegro?

An employee whose age is 18 or younger has a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 40 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 30 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 6 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 09:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Montenegro

Under Montenegrin labour law, the standard full-time schedule is set at 40 hours per week, usually spread over five working days. Daily working time is typically organized as 8 hours per day, and any extension must respect mandatory rest periods and overtime limits. Employers must clearly define working hours in employment contracts or internal regulations.

Working time can be unevenly distributed over a reference period through collective agreements or employer rules, provided that the average does not exceed 40 hours per week. When using uneven schedules or shift work, you must document the reference period and communicate timetables to employees in advance. Employers are required to keep accurate records of hours worked for each employee to demonstrate compliance to labour inspectors.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. These rules often allow for longer daily shifts, such as 10 or 12 hours, provided that weekly averages and rest periods are respected. You must also consider specific EU-derived safety rules for high-risk or safety-sensitive roles.

In practice, collective agreements or internal acts in these sectors may regulate shift rotations, standby duty, and on-call arrangements in more detail. You should ensure that any such arrangements still comply with statutory daily and weekly rest, as well as overtime caps. Coordination with health and safety representatives is advisable when designing intensive shift patterns.

• Healthcare professionals may work 12-hour shifts with extended rest periods.
• Transport workers must comply with EU-aligned rest and driving limits.
• Manufacturing and security staff often rotate through night or weekend shifts.

Even in these sectors, you must ensure the average weekly limit is respected over a reference period. You should periodically review rosters to confirm that average weekly hours do not exceed 40 and that overtime remains within legal caps. Failure to do so can result in fines and mandatory schedule adjustments imposed by labour inspectors.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Montenegrin law allows certain managerial or leading employees to have more flexible working hours, but they are not fully exempt from working-time protections. Their contracts may provide for irregular schedules or a broader scope of duties, yet daily rest, weekly rest, and health and safety rules still apply. You should clearly define expectations on availability and working time in their employment contracts.

While some managers may not receive overtime pay in the same way as hourly staff, this must be based on clear contractual terms and aligned with applicable collective agreements. If you rely on such arrangements, ensure that the overall workload is reasonable and does not systematically exceed legal limits. Misclassifying employees as exempt managers to avoid overtime obligations can trigger sanctions and back-pay claims.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Montenegro

Statutory full-time work in Montenegro is defined as 40 hours per week for adult employees. This is normally organized as five 8-hour days, but collective agreements or internal rules may allow different distributions, such as six shorter days. Any reduction below 40 hours per week is considered part-time work and must be reflected in the employment contract.

Shorter full-time hours may be set for particularly demanding or hazardous jobs, for example 36 hours per week, without reducing the employee’s full-time status or base salary. When you introduce part-time roles, you must ensure that rights such as annual leave and social insurance are granted proportionally. Clearly documenting whether a role is full-time or part-time helps avoid disputes over overtime and entitlements.

Overtime Regulations In Montenegro

Employers in Montenegro may require overtime only in exceptional or increased workload situations and must respect statutory limits. You are obliged to keep precise records of all overtime hours, including the reason for overtime and the employee’s consent where required. Non-compliance with overtime rules exposes you to labour inspections, fines, and potential back-pay claims.

What Counts As Overtime In Montenegro?

Overtime in Montenegro is any work performed beyond the agreed full-time schedule of 40 hours per week for adult employees. Work performed on a designated weekly rest day or public holiday also qualifies as overtime, even if total weekly hours remain close to 40. You should define normal working hours and overtime triggers clearly in contracts and internal policies.

Overtime must generally be ordered in writing by the employer or an authorized manager, except in urgent emergency situations. Employees who work part-time generate overtime once they exceed their contracted hours and, in many cases, when they surpass the full-time threshold of 40 hours per week. All such hours must be compensated at the applicable premium rates or granted as paid time off in lieu where allowed by law or collective agreement.

Maximum Overtime In Montenegro

Montenegrin law limits overtime to a maximum of 10 hours per week per employee. In addition, the total working time, including overtime, must not exceed 50 hours in any given week. These limits are designed to protect employee health and safety and cannot be waived by private agreement.

On an annual basis, overtime is generally capped at 250 hours per employee, unless a collective agreement provides a lower ceiling. Any need to approach this annual limit should be carefully planned, documented, and justified by exceptional business circumstances. If you regularly require employees to work close to the weekly or annual caps, you should consider hiring additional staff or reorganizing shifts.

Overtime Payout Rates In Montenegro

Overtime work in Montenegro must be paid at a premium of at least 40% above the employee’s regular hourly wage, meaning a minimum rate of 1.40x the base rate. Work performed on a weekly rest day or Sunday is typically compensated at a higher premium of at least 50%, or 1.50x the base rate, under many collective agreements. You should verify whether a sectoral or company-level agreement sets even higher percentages.

Public holiday work is usually subject to the highest premium, commonly at least 100% above the base rate, or 2.00x the regular hourly wage. Where time off in lieu is used instead of cash payment, the time granted should reflect the same premium value, for example 1.40 hours of paid leave for each 1 hour of overtime paid at a 40% premium. All applicable overtime and premium rates must be clearly stated in employment contracts or internal pay regulations and reflected accurately on payslips.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Montenegro

In Montenegro, employees typically work 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are structured around this standard schedule. During each working day, employees are entitled to a meal break and must also receive minimum daily and weekly rest to protect their health and safety. As an employer, you must organize working time so that these breaks and rest periods are actually taken in practice, not just stated on paper.

• Meal Break: Employees who work at least 6 hours in a day are entitled to a paid meal break of at least 30 minutes, which should usually be scheduled near the middle of the shift. You must ensure that operational demands do not prevent employees from taking this break.
• Daily Rest: Employees must receive a minimum of 12 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one working day and the start of the next. This daily rest applies even when you use shift work or uneven schedules.
• Weekly Rest: Employees are entitled to at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, which is typically scheduled on Sunday. If business needs require Sunday work, you must provide a substitute rest day in the same week or reference period.
• Minors: Workers under 18 benefit from enhanced protection, including a shorter maximum working day and longer rest periods. You must not schedule minors for night work or excessive overtime that would reduce their daily or weekly rest.
• Employer Duty: Employers are responsible for planning shifts and staffing levels so that statutory breaks and rest periods are respected. You should maintain clear records and written schedules to demonstrate compliance during inspections.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Montenegro

Night and weekend work are legal in Montenegro but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay appropriate premiums where required, respect stricter health and safety rules, and ensure that vulnerable groups are not exposed to harmful schedules.

Night work in Montenegro is generally defined as work performed between 22:00 and 06:00. This definition applies across most roles and sectors, although specific collective agreements may refine the exact hours or introduce additional safeguards for particular industries.

• Premium Pay: Night work is typically compensated with a premium of at least 26% above the regular hourly wage, meaning a minimum rate of 1.26x for hours worked between 22:00 and 06:00. Collective or company agreements may grant higher night premiums, and you must always apply the most favourable rate for the employee.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers should be offered periodic health assessments to monitor the impact of night schedules on their wellbeing. If medical findings indicate that night work is harmful, you should consider transferring the employee to day work where feasible.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 are prohibited from night work, and pregnant or breastfeeding workers must not be required to work night shifts if a medical certificate indicates risk. In such cases, you should adjust schedules or reassign duties without reducing the employee’s basic pay.

Weekend work, particularly on Sunday, is generally treated as work on a weekly rest day and should be exceptional rather than routine. When employees work on Sunday or their designated weekly rest day, you must provide a substitute rest day and pay a premium that is commonly at least 50% above the base rate, or 1.50x, unless a more favourable collective agreement applies.