Working Hours and Overtime in Oman

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Oman?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. An employee whose age is 16 or older is allowed to work 45 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 30 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours in a day. In typical working hours, Sunday through Thursday, the hours are 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Oman

Under Omani Labour Law, the normal working time for adult employees is limited to 9 hours per day and 45 hours per week in most sectors. During the month of Ramadan, Muslim employees are subject to a reduced limit of 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. You must structure schedules so that these limits are not exceeded through normal rostering.

Daily and weekly limits can be averaged in certain cases, but only if the total hours over the reference period do not exceed the statutory norms. Any work beyond 9 hours in a day or 45 hours in a week for non‑Muslim employees, or beyond the reduced Ramadan limits for Muslim employees, is treated as overtime and must be compensated at the prescribed premium rates. Employers are required to maintain accurate time records to demonstrate compliance.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. The law allows flexibility where the nature of the work requires continuous operation, such as hospitals, hotels, and certain industrial facilities, provided that average weekly hours and mandatory rest periods are respected. You should document any reliance on these exceptions in internal policies or collective arrangements.

• 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. Where longer shifts are used, you should provide compensatory rest and ensure that total weekly hours, including overtime, remain within the legal caps. Written rosters and clear communication with staff are essential to demonstrate that exceptions are being applied lawfully.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial and supervisory employees in Oman may be excluded from some working time and overtime provisions if they have genuine authority over hiring, firing, and budgeting and are paid at a significantly higher level. However, you should not assume that a job title alone creates an exemption, and the actual duties and decision‑making powers will be scrutinized in any dispute. Employment contracts for such roles should clearly state whether overtime rules apply and how working hours are managed.

Even where employees are treated as exempt, you remain responsible for protecting their health and safety by avoiding excessive working hours. It is good practice to set an indicative weekly working time in the contract, such as 45–48 hours, and to monitor workloads to prevent chronic overwork. Transparent policies on availability outside normal hours help manage expectations and reduce legal risk.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Oman

In Oman, statutory full‑time work is generally based on 45 hours per week spread over 5 or 6 working days, with a maximum of 9 hours per day for adult employees. Many employers operate a 5‑day week of 9 hours per day, while others use a 6‑day week with shorter daily hours that still total 45 hours. Any arrangement that regularly exceeds 45 hours per week moves into overtime and must be compensated accordingly.

Part‑time, shift‑based, and compressed‑week arrangements are permitted as long as the statutory daily and weekly limits and rest requirements are respected. You should define in writing what constitutes full‑time hours in your organization and how any additional hours will be treated and paid. Clear contractual terms reduce ambiguity and support compliance during inspections or disputes.

Overtime Regulations In Oman

Overtime in Oman is tightly regulated, and employers must obtain the employee’s consent, except in limited emergency situations, and keep detailed records of all extra hours worked. You are required to track daily and weekly hours to identify when employees exceed 9 hours per day or 45 hours per week, or the reduced Ramadan limits for Muslim employees. Failure to document overtime accurately can lead to back‑pay claims, administrative fines, and reputational risk.

What Counts As Overtime In Oman?

Overtime generally includes any hours worked beyond 9 hours in a day or 45 hours in a week for adult employees outside Ramadan. For Muslim employees during Ramadan, hours beyond 6 per day or 30 per week are treated as overtime. Work performed outside the employee’s normal schedule at the employer’s request, including before or after the shift, is also considered overtime.

Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day or on official public holidays is treated as overtime with higher statutory premiums. In Oman, rest‑day and public‑holiday work must be compensated at not less than 2.0x the basic wage plus, in some cases, a substitute rest day. You should obtain written consent for planned overtime and clearly record whether it falls on a normal day, rest day, or public holiday.

Maximum Overtime In Oman

Omani Labour Law limits overtime to a maximum of 3 hours per day, so that total daily working time does not normally exceed 12 hours. In practice, this means that an employee working the standard 9‑hour day may perform up to 3 additional overtime hours on that day. You must not schedule overtime in a way that systematically pushes employees beyond this daily ceiling.

In addition to the daily limit, overtime should not exceed an average of 15 hours per week or 60 hours per month without specific approval from the Ministry of Labour. Over a full year, this equates to an indicative cap of about 720 overtime hours, and exceeding this level may be viewed as abusive even if daily limits are respected. Where business needs require higher overtime, you should seek written approval and consider hiring additional staff or reorganizing shifts.

Overtime Payout Rates In Oman

For overtime worked on a normal working day in Oman, employees must receive at least 1.25x their basic hourly wage, meaning a 25% premium over the normal rate. For overtime performed at night between 21:00 and 06:00, the minimum premium increases to 1.50x the basic hourly wage, reflecting a 50% uplift. These statutory minimums apply in addition to any more generous contractual or policy‑based arrangements you may offer.

When employees work overtime on their weekly rest day or on an official public holiday, you must pay at least 2.0x the basic hourly wage, representing a 100% premium, and in many cases also grant a substitute rest day. You should calculate overtime based on the employee’s basic wage divided by the monthly working hours, then apply the relevant multiplier of 1.25x, 1.50x, or 2.0x as appropriate. Payroll systems must be configured to distinguish between normal‑day, night, rest‑day, and public‑holiday overtime to ensure accurate payment and compliance.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Oman

In Oman, employees typically work up to 9 hours per day and 45 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health within these limits. The law requires meal and rest breaks during the working day, as well as daily and weekly rest, to ensure that total working time and recovery time remain balanced. As an employer, you must structure schedules so that these breaks are actually taken and properly recorded.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours in Oman must receive a meal and rest break of at least 30 minutes, during which they are relieved of all duties. This break should not be scheduled at the beginning or end of the shift and should be clearly reflected in rosters.
• Daily Rest: Workers are generally entitled to a minimum uninterrupted daily rest period of 10–11 hours between the end of one workday and the start of the next. You should avoid scheduling split shifts that reduce this rest below the statutory minimum.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least one paid weekly rest day, which in Oman is commonly Friday but may be Friday and Saturday in some organizations. If business needs require work on the weekly rest day, you must provide a substitute rest day and pay overtime at not less than 2.0x the basic wage.
• Minors: Employees under 18 in Oman are subject to stricter limits, including a maximum of 6 hours of work per day with at least one 1‑hour break. Minors are also prohibited from night work and from working on weekly rest days and public holidays in most circumstances.
• Employer Duty: Employers in Oman must organize work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are observed in practice, not just on paper. You should implement timekeeping systems and supervisory checks to ensure employees are not pressured to skip breaks or work through their weekly rest.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Oman

Night and weekend work are legal in Oman but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay statutory premiums where required and ensure that total working hours, including night and weekend shifts, remain within daily and weekly limits. Particular care is needed to protect vulnerable groups such as minors and pregnant employees.

Night work in Oman is generally understood as work performed between 21:00 and 06:00, and overtime during this period attracts a higher statutory premium. For adult employees, night overtime must be paid at not less than 1.50x the basic hourly wage, representing a 50% uplift over the normal rate. You should clearly define night‑shift windows in contracts and policies so employees understand when the premium applies.

• Premium Pay: For night overtime hours between 21:00 and 06:00 in Oman, you must pay at least 1.50x the basic hourly wage, while overtime on weekly rest days or public holidays must be paid at not less than 2.0x the basic hourly wage. Some employers choose to offer an additional fixed night‑shift allowance on top of these statutory multipliers to support recruitment and retention.
• Health Monitoring: Although Omani law does not mandate periodic medical examinations for all night workers, you are expected to safeguard employee health under general occupational safety duties. Many employers therefore offer regular health checks and fatigue‑management training for staff who routinely work night or rotating shifts.
• Workplace Restrictions: In Oman, minors under 18 are prohibited from working between 21:00 and 06:00 and are generally barred from hazardous night‑shift environments. Pregnant employees should not be assigned to night or heavy‑duty weekend work where this could endanger their health, and reasonable accommodations or schedule adjustments are expected.

Weekend work in Oman typically involves Friday as the main weekly rest day, and many employers also treat Saturday as a rest day in a 5‑day week. If employees are required to work on their weekly rest day, you must provide a substitute rest day and pay overtime at not less than 2.0x the basic hourly wage for the hours worked. Clear rostering and written consent for regular weekend work help demonstrate compliance and manage employee expectations.