Working Hours and Overtime in Republic of Congo

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Republic of Congo?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 30 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 8:00 to 16:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Republic of Congo

Under Congolese labour law, the general statutory limit for full-time employees is 40 hours per week, usually spread over five or six days. Daily working time is commonly set between 8 and 9 hours, depending on how the weekly schedule is organized and any applicable collective agreement. You must clearly define the daily and weekly schedule in the employment contract or internal regulations.

Collective agreements or ministerial orders may authorize different distributions of hours, provided that the average does not exceed 40 hours per week over the chosen reference period. When you introduce variable or shift-based schedules, you must document the reference period and keep accurate time records for each employee. Any hours worked beyond the agreed schedule and above 40 hours per week are treated as overtime and must be compensated at the applicable premium rates.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In these sectors, longer daily shifts can be authorized, such as 10–12 hour shifts, as long as compensatory rest and overtime premiums are respected. You should always verify whether a sectoral collective agreement or specific decree applies to your activity before designing work schedules.

• 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. In practice, this means that if you schedule longer days during peak periods, you must balance them with shorter days or additional rest later so that the average does not exceed 40 hours per week. Failure to respect these limits can lead to labour inspectorate sanctions and back payment of overtime.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff and certain trusted employees may have broader flexibility in their working hours, often described as working under a global working-time arrangement. Even for these employees, you should avoid schedules that systematically exceed 48 hours per week, including overtime, to remain aligned with health and safety principles. Their contracts should clearly state that their remuneration covers a higher level of availability and any included overtime.

Where managers are not formally classified as exempt under a collective agreement or the Labour Code, they remain entitled to overtime premiums for hours beyond 40 per week. You should define in writing whether any flat-rate overtime arrangement applies and specify the number of hours covered and the corresponding pay. Transparent documentation reduces the risk of later disputes over unpaid overtime.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Republic of Congo

Statutory full-time work in Republic of Congo is generally understood as 40 hours per week for adult employees. This is typically organized as five 8-hour days or six shorter days, depending on operational needs and sector practice. Any reduction or extension of this norm should be supported by a collective agreement or administrative authorization.

Part-time arrangements are permitted, provided the agreed hours are clearly stated in the contract and do not exceed the full-time threshold. When part-time employees work beyond their contractual hours, you must determine whether those hours are treated as complementary hours up to 40 per week or as overtime above 40 hours. Consistent classification and pay practices are essential to demonstrate compliance during inspections.

Overtime Regulations In Republic of Congo

Overtime in Republic of Congo is tightly regulated, and employers are required to monitor hours worked and keep reliable time records for each employee. You must obtain prior authorization where required by law or collective agreement and ensure that overtime remains exceptional rather than systematic. Non-compliance can result in back payment of premiums, administrative fines, and potential criminal sanctions for serious or repeated violations.

What Counts As Overtime In Republic of Congo?

Overtime is generally any time worked beyond the statutory 40 hours per week for adult employees, regardless of whether the employee is paid hourly or monthly. Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day or on a public holiday is also treated as overtime and attracts higher premium rates. You should define in your internal rules how you will track and approve overtime, including work performed outside normal premises or via remote work.

In some cases, collective agreements allow the use of reference periods so that hours above 40 in one week can be offset by fewer hours in another week. When such averaging is used, overtime is counted only when the average weekly hours over the reference period exceed 40. You must communicate the chosen reference period to employees in advance and ensure that any hours beyond the averaged limit are paid at the correct overtime rate.

Maximum Overtime In Republic of Congo

As a general rule, overtime in Republic of Congo is capped at 20 hours per week, meaning total working time should not exceed 60 hours in any given week. On an annual basis, the typical ceiling applied in practice is 200 hours of overtime per employee per year, unless a sectoral agreement or ministerial authorization sets a different numerical limit. You should implement internal controls to prevent scheduling that would cause an employee to exceed these thresholds.

Where business needs require going beyond the usual caps, you must seek prior authorization from the labour authorities or rely on a sectoral agreement that explicitly allows a higher limit, such as up to 240 overtime hours per year. Even with such authorization, you should not exceed an absolute maximum of 12 working hours per day, including overtime. Exceeding statutory caps without authorization exposes you to fines and potential orders to adjust schedules and compensate affected employees.

Overtime Payout Rates In Republic of Congo

Overtime in Republic of Congo is typically paid at a minimum premium of 20% above the normal hourly rate for the first tranche of overtime. A common structure is 120% of the base rate for the first 8 overtime hours in a week, 130% of the base rate for the next 8 overtime hours, and 150% of the base rate for any additional overtime hours within the legal cap. You should verify any sectoral agreement that may set higher percentages and reflect these rates clearly in payslips.

Work performed on Sundays or the employee’s weekly rest day is usually compensated at 150% of the normal hourly rate, while work on public holidays is commonly paid at 200% of the normal hourly rate. Some employers choose to grant compensatory rest in addition to these premiums, but this does not replace the obligation to pay at least the statutory percentage. Your payroll system must be configured to distinguish between regular overtime, Sunday work, and public holiday work so that each is paid at the correct numerical rate.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Republic of Congo

In Republic of Congo, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health and safety within this framework. During the working day, employees are entitled to a meal break once their continuous work exceeds a set number of hours, and they must also benefit from daily and weekly rest. As an employer, you must organize schedules so that these breaks and rest periods are actually taken and not merely recorded on paper.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours in Republic of Congo must receive at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break, which is generally unpaid unless otherwise agreed. You should schedule this break roughly in the middle of the work period to reduce fatigue and safety risks.
• Daily Rest: Employees are entitled to a minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours between the end of one workday and the start of the next. This means you should avoid scheduling late-night work followed by an early-morning shift that would cut into this 11-hour rest.
• Weekly Rest: Workers must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, typically on Sunday in Republic of Congo. When business needs require Sunday work, you must grant a substitute rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours during the same week.
• Minors: Employees under 18 benefit from stricter rest rules, including shorter daily limits and longer rest periods between shifts. You should avoid scheduling minors for evening or night work and ensure they receive additional breaks during long days.
• Employer Duty: Employers are responsible for planning work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are respected in practice, not just on paper. You must keep reliable records of hours worked and be able to demonstrate to labour inspectors that employees are not being denied their legal rest.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Republic of Congo

Night and weekend work are legal in Republic of Congo but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay attention to working-time limits, health and safety obligations, and any applicable premium rates when scheduling employees during these periods. Proper documentation and consultation with employee representatives are recommended where night or weekend work is regular.

Night work in Republic of Congo is generally defined as work performed between 22:00 and 05:00, although some sectoral agreements may extend this window to 21:00–06:00. This definition applies across most roles, including manufacturing, security, hospitality, and healthcare, unless a specific regulation provides otherwise. You should clearly indicate in contracts or internal rules when an employee is classified as a night worker.

• Premium Pay: Night work is typically compensated with a premium of at least 20% above the normal hourly rate, meaning night hours are paid at a minimum of 120% of base pay. In some sectors, collective agreements may require higher premiums, such as 130% or 150% of the base rate for night shifts.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers should be offered periodic medical examinations to monitor the impact of night schedules on their health. You should also assess fatigue risks and adjust staffing or shift patterns where medical advice indicates a concern.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors are generally prohibited from night work, particularly between 22:00 and 05:00, except for narrowly defined exceptions such as apprenticeships with safeguards. Pregnant workers should not be assigned to night shifts, and if they are already working nights, they should be transferred to daytime work or granted leave where medically indicated.

Weekend work, especially on Sundays, is normally treated as work on the weekly rest day in Republic of Congo and should remain exceptional. When employees work on Sunday, you must grant a substitute rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours and pay a premium that commonly reaches 150% of the normal hourly rate for Sunday hours. Work on public holidays is usually compensated at 200% of the normal hourly rate, in addition to any applicable rest entitlements.