Working Hours and Overtime in Andorra

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Andorra?

An employee whose age is 17 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 9:00 to 18:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Andorra

In Andorra, the statutory full-time working schedule is generally based on a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, averaged over the applicable pay period. You should structure work schedules so that employees do not routinely exceed these limits without clearly documented overtime. Collective agreements or company policies may introduce shorter standard hours, such as 37.5 or 39 hours per week, but they cannot lawfully increase the statutory ceiling.

When you introduce irregular schedules, such as split shifts or compressed weeks, you must still ensure that the average weekly working time does not exceed 40 hours over the agreed reference period. Any extension of daily hours toward 9 or 10 hours must be offset by shorter days elsewhere or additional rest, and should be expressly agreed in writing. You are also expected to keep accurate time records for each employee to demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. These rules can allow longer daily shifts, more frequent weekend work, or rotating rosters, provided that the average weekly working time still respects the 40-hour limit over the reference period. You should always check whether a sectoral collective agreement in Andorra imposes stricter limits or additional premiums.

Even in these sectors, you must ensure the average weekly limit is respected over a reference period. For example, a hospital may schedule 12-hour shifts but then grant additional days off so that the monthly average remains at or below 40 hours per week. Written shift patterns, posted rosters, and clear internal policies are essential to show that you are managing these exceptions lawfully.

• 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 monitor total hours worked per week and per month, and adjust rosters if employees approach the legal thresholds. Failure to do so can result in administrative sanctions and back payment of overtime.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

In Andorra, senior managers and certain highly autonomous employees may have more flexible schedules and may not be subject to the same strict daily scheduling rules as rank-and-file staff. However, they are still generally bound by the overarching 40-hour weekly framework unless their contracts clearly define a different arrangement with an appropriate salary reflecting the broader availability. You cannot simply label an employee as “exempt” to avoid your obligations on working time.

Employment contracts for managerial staff should specify expected working hours, availability outside normal office times, and how any additional hours are compensated. In practice, many employers in Andorra incorporate a reasonable amount of overtime into a higher fixed salary for managers, but excessive workloads that systematically exceed 40 hours per week without compensation can still be challenged. Clear documentation and mutual agreement are critical to reduce legal risk.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Andorra

Statutory full-time work in Andorra is generally understood as 40 hours per week, usually spread over five 8-hour days. Many employers adopt a standard schedule such as 9:00 to 18:00 with a 1-hour unpaid lunch break, or 8:00 to 17:00 in industrial settings. You may also agree to slightly shorter weekly hours, such as 37.5 or 39, as a competitive benefit.

Part-time arrangements are permitted as long as the agreed hours are clearly stated in the employment contract and do not exceed the 40-hour full-time benchmark. When part-time employees work beyond their contractual hours but remain under 40 hours per week, those hours are typically paid at the normal rate unless a collective agreement grants a premium. Once an employee exceeds 40 hours in a week, the overtime rules and premiums apply.

Overtime Regulations In Andorra

As an employer in Andorra, you must closely monitor and record all hours worked beyond the standard 40-hour weekly limit, as these hours are considered overtime. Accurate timekeeping systems, such as electronic time clocks or validated timesheets, are essential to demonstrate compliance with legal requirements and collective agreements. Failure to document overtime correctly can lead to disputes, back-pay claims, and administrative fines.

What Counts As Overtime In Andorra?

In Andorra, overtime generally refers to any hours worked beyond 40 hours in a given week for a full-time employee. Work performed on an employee’s weekly rest day or on a public holiday is also treated as overtime, even if the 40-hour threshold has not yet been reached, and must be compensated at the applicable premium rate. You should define in writing how you calculate weekly hours, including any reference period used for averaging.

Unscheduled work performed at your request outside the employee’s normal daily schedule, such as staying two extra hours to finish a project, also qualifies as overtime. Employees should not be pressured to work overtime without prior agreement, and you should have a clear internal policy requiring managerial approval before overtime is performed. This helps you control costs and ensures that overtime remains within the legal caps.

Maximum Overtime In Andorra

Andorran practice, aligned with neighboring European standards, generally limits overtime to a maximum of 2 hours per day and 12 hours per week on top of the 40-hour standard. Over a full year, you should not exceed approximately 200 hours of overtime per employee, unless a collective agreement in your sector explicitly allows a higher ceiling with safeguards. These limits are designed to protect employee health and to prevent systematic overuse of overtime instead of proper staffing.

If business needs require you to approach these caps, you should obtain written consent from the employee and, where applicable, consult employee representatives. Any extension beyond 12 overtime hours in a week or 200 hours in a year should be treated as exceptional and justified by documented operational reasons. Persistently exceeding these thresholds can expose you to inspections, orders to adjust schedules, and potential penalties.

Overtime Payout Rates In Andorra

In Andorra, a common statutory benchmark is to pay overtime at 125% of the employee’s regular hourly rate (1.25x) for the first overtime hours worked in a week. When overtime is performed on a weekly rest day or a Saturday, many collective agreements and company policies increase the rate to 150% of the regular hourly rate (1.5x). You should clearly state in contracts or internal policies which rate applies in each scenario and ensure payroll systems calculate these multipliers correctly.

Work performed on public holidays or on a Sunday is typically compensated at 200% of the regular hourly rate (2.0x) or, alternatively, at 100% pay plus a paid compensatory rest day, depending on the applicable agreement. If you choose to grant time off in lieu instead of cash payment, the time off should be equivalent in value to the premium, for example 1.5 hours of paid leave for each hour worked at a 150% rate. Always verify whether a sectoral agreement in Andorra sets higher minimum premiums, and apply the most favorable rule for the employee.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Andorra

In Andorra, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are structured around these standard hours to protect health and safety. During longer shifts, workers are entitled to a meal break and must also benefit from daily and weekly rest periods that separate working days. As an employer, you must design schedules so that these breaks are actually taken and not merely recorded on paper.

• Meal Break: In Andorra, employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours must receive at least a 30-minute meal break (paid for uninterupted 6+ hour shifts; unpaid for interrupted/split shifts). You should schedule this break roughly in the middle of the shift to reduce fatigue and safety risks.
• Daily Rest: Workers in Andorra are generally entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next. Only in exceptional, well-justified cases may this rest be reduced, and any reduction should be compensated with equivalent rest later.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest in Andorra, typically including Sunday and adjoining daily rest. In continuous operations, you may allocate the weekly rest on another day, but you must ensure that the total uninterrupted rest is still at least 24 hours.
• Minors: Workers under 18 in Andorra benefit from stricter rest rules, including shorter maximum daily hours and longer rest periods between shifts. You should avoid scheduling minors for night work or split shifts that would interfere with education or recovery time.
• Employer Duty: Employers in Andorra are responsible for organizing work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are genuinely observed, not waived by employees. You should keep reliable records of working time and intervene if managers encourage staff to skip breaks to meet workload demands.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Andorra

Night and weekend work are legal in Andorra but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay particular attention to working-time limits, health and safety obligations, and any premium pay set by law or collective agreements. Proper planning and documentation are essential to show that these non-standard hours are justified and fairly compensated.

Night work in Andorra is generally understood as work performed between 22:00 and 06:00, although some collective agreements may define a slightly different window. This definition applies across most roles, including hospitality, healthcare, security, and manufacturing, whenever a substantial portion of the shift falls within these hours. You should clearly indicate in employment contracts if the role regularly involves night work.

• Premium Pay: Andorran law does not prescribe a single mandatory numerical night work premium, but in practice many employers and collective agreements grant at least a 25% premium (1.25x) on the base hourly rate for hours worked between 22:00 and 06:00. Some sectors, such as healthcare or continuous-process manufacturing, may apply higher premiums of 30%–40% for regular night shifts, and you should follow the most favorable applicable rule.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers in Andorra should be offered periodic health assessments to detect fatigue, sleep disorders, or other issues linked to night work. You are expected to adapt schedules or reassign employees if medical advice indicates that continued night work would endanger their health.
• Workplace Restrictions: In Andorra, minors are generally prohibited from performing night work, particularly between 22:00 and 06:00, except in very limited and supervised circumstances. Pregnant workers and those who have recently given birth should be removed from night shifts upon medical recommendation and reassigned to daytime duties without loss of pay.

Weekend work in Andorra, especially on Sundays, is usually treated as work performed on a weekly rest day and therefore attracts enhanced protection. Many employers pay at least 150% of the regular hourly rate (1.5x) for Sunday or designated rest-day work, or grant a substitute rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours in addition to normal pay. You should clearly define in your policies how weekend premiums and compensatory rest are handled to avoid disputes.