Working Hours and Overtime in Rwanda

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Rwanda?

An employee whose age is 18 or younger has a maximum of 7 hours per day and 35 hours per week. An employee whose age is 19 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 5 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Rwanda

Under Rwandan labour law, the normal working time for adult employees is capped at 45 hours per week, usually spread over 5 or 6 days. Daily schedules are typically organized into 8 to 9 hour shifts, excluding the meal break, and must be clearly stated in the employment contract or internal regulations. Employers must display working time schedules at the workplace and ensure that any changes are communicated in advance.

Collective bargaining agreements or company policies may distribute the 45 hours differently across the week, provided the weekly cap is respected. Any work performed beyond the agreed daily or weekly schedule is treated as overtime and must follow statutory limits and pay rates. Employers are responsible for monitoring hours and keeping accurate records to demonstrate compliance during inspections.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. These sectors often require continuous or shift-based operations, which can involve irregular hours, split shifts, or rotating rosters. Employers must still respect the overall weekly limit of 45 hours on average and apply overtime rules when that limit is exceeded.

In practice, sectoral collective agreements or ministerial orders may authorize longer daily shifts in exchange for compensatory rest or structured rotation. Employers should review any applicable sector regulations before designing rosters, especially where 24/7 coverage is required. Written shift schedules and clear communication with staff are essential to avoid fatigue and legal disputes.

• 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 also ensure that overtime is exceptional, justified by operational needs, and compensated at the correct premium rates. Failure to do so can lead to sanctions from the labour inspectorate.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff in Rwanda may enjoy greater flexibility in how they organize their working time, but they are not automatically exempt from all working-hour protections. Employment contracts should clearly define whether a role is managerial, the expected working-time pattern, and how any additional hours are compensated. Where managers are paid a global salary that implicitly covers reasonable extra hours, this must still respect health and safety principles and cannot justify excessive workloads.

For non-managerial employees classified as technical or supervisory staff, standard limits of 45 hours per week continue to apply unless a specific legal derogation exists. Any agreement to work beyond normal hours must be in writing and comply with overtime caps and premium rates. Employers should avoid relying on informal expectations of unpaid extra hours, as these can be challenged as unlawful overtime.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Rwanda

In Rwanda, statutory full-time work is generally understood as 45 hours per week for adult employees. This is usually organized as 9 hours per day over 5 days or 7.5 hours per day over 6 days, excluding the meal break. Contracts should specify the weekly total, daily schedule, and whether Saturday is a working day.

Part-time arrangements involve fewer than 45 hours per week but must still respect daily rest and break rules on a pro rata basis. Employers may introduce flexible or compressed schedules, provided the average does not exceed 45 hours per week and overtime rules are followed when that threshold is crossed. Any change from full-time to part-time or vice versa should be documented with the employee’s written consent.

Overtime Regulations In Rwanda

Overtime in Rwanda must be authorized by the employer, recorded accurately, and compensated at statutory premium rates above the normal wage. You are required to keep detailed timesheets or electronic records showing hours worked each day, overtime performed, and corresponding payments. Non-compliance with overtime rules can result in back-pay orders, fines, and potential reputational damage during labour inspections.

What Counts As Overtime In Rwanda?

Overtime for adult employees in Rwanda is any working time that exceeds the normal 45-hour weekly limit set by law or the lower contractual limit if your contract provides one. Work performed beyond the normal daily schedule, even if the weekly total remains under 45 hours, may also be treated as overtime where this is agreed in contracts or collective agreements. Employers should define overtime triggers clearly in internal regulations to avoid disputes.

Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day, typically Sunday, or on an official public holiday is also treated as overtime and attracts higher premium rates. In such cases, you must both pay the applicable overtime premium and, where required, grant a substitute rest day. Any requirement for employees to remain on-call should be assessed carefully to determine whether it constitutes working time or standby time.

Maximum Overtime In Rwanda

Rwandan labour law limits overtime to a maximum of 2 hours per day and 10 hours per week under normal circumstances, meaning total working time should not exceed 55 hours in any given week. Over a longer reference period, overtime should remain exceptional and cannot be used to systematically bypass the 45-hour normal week. Employers must plan staffing levels so that regular operations are covered within normal hours.

In exceptional cases such as urgent work, force majeure, or peak seasonal demand, the labour inspectorate may authorize temporary extensions beyond the 10-hour weekly overtime limit, typically up to 20 hours of overtime per week for a short, defined period. Such extensions must be justified in writing and requested before implementation. Without this formal approval, exceeding 10 hours of overtime per week exposes you to sanctions and back-pay claims.

Overtime Payout Rates In Rwanda

In Rwanda, overtime performed on a normal working day must be paid at a minimum of 150% of the employee’s regular hourly wage, equivalent to a 1.5x rate. When overtime is worked at night on a normal working day, the combined premium typically reaches 175% of the base rate, or 1.75x, reflecting both overtime and night-work compensation. These minimums can be improved by collective agreements or company policy but not reduced.

Overtime worked on the weekly rest day or on a public holiday must be paid at a minimum of 200% of the normal hourly wage, or 2.0x, in addition to granting a substitute rest day where required. If employees work overtime at night on a public holiday, many employers apply at least 225% of the base rate, or 2.25x, to reflect the combined burden. You should state all applicable overtime and premium rates clearly in contracts and payslips to ensure transparency and compliance.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Rwanda

In Rwanda, employees generally work up to 8 to 9 hours per day and 45 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health within this framework. Workers who exceed 5 consecutive hours of work must receive at least a 30-minute meal break, which does not count as working time. Daily and weekly rest rules operate alongside these breaks to ensure employees have sufficient recovery time between shifts.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours must receive a minimum uninterrupted meal break of 30 minutes, which is typically unpaid. Employers should schedule this break roughly in the middle of the work period to reduce fatigue.
• Daily Rest: Employees are entitled to a continuous daily rest period of at least 11 hours between the end of one workday and the start of the next. This means you should not schedule back-to-back shifts that cut into this 11-hour rest window.
• Weekly Rest: Rwandan law provides for at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, usually on Sunday. If business needs require Sunday work, you must grant an equivalent rest day on another day of the week.
• Minors: Workers under 18 are subject to stricter limits, including a maximum of 7 hours per day and 35 hours per week. They must receive adequate breaks and cannot be scheduled for night work that would compromise their health or schooling.
• Employer Duty: Employers must organize work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, not just written into policy. You should maintain schedules and records that demonstrate compliance in case of labour inspections or disputes.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Rwanda

Night and weekend work are legal in Rwanda but they trigger additional employer responsibilities around health, safety, and compensation. You must assess the risks associated with irregular hours and ensure that staffing levels, supervision, and transport arrangements are appropriate. Written policies should explain when night or weekend work is required and how it will be compensated.

Night work in Rwanda is generally understood as work performed between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., although collective agreements may refine this window. Any employee whose schedule regularly falls within this period should be treated as a night worker for the purposes of risk assessment and premium pay. You should clearly indicate night hours in rosters and timesheets.

• Premium Pay: While Rwandan law does not set a single uniform night-work premium, common practice and many collective agreements provide at least 125% of the base hourly wage, or 1.25x, for hours worked between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Where night work coincides with overtime, employers often apply a combined rate of at least 175%, or 1.75x, to reflect both overtime and night-work premiums.
• Health Monitoring: Employers should offer periodic health assessments to regular night workers to monitor fatigue, sleep disorders, and other health impacts. Where medical advice indicates that night work is harmful to an employee’s health, you should consider reassignment to day work where reasonably possible.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 are generally prohibited from night work except in narrowly defined circumstances authorized by law. Pregnant and breastfeeding workers should not be required to perform night shifts where this would endanger their health or that of the child, and reasonable accommodations or schedule changes should be provided.

Weekend work, particularly on Sunday as the usual weekly rest day, is permitted but must remain exceptional and justified by operational needs. Employees who work on Sunday are typically entitled to a premium of at least 200% of the normal hourly wage, or 2.0x, and a substitute rest day during the week. You should document Sunday work carefully and ensure that rest-day substitutions are actually granted and recorded.