Working Hours and Overtime in Armenia

In Armenia, your company must comply with working hour and overtime laws – including daily limits, overtime thresholds, and rest requirements – to stay compliant and build a strong employee experience.

Over the coming years, including into 2026, labour authorities in Armenia are expected to continue focusing on transparent scheduling, accurate timekeeping, and proper overtime compensation. Employers should ensure that contracts, internal regulations, and payroll systems are aligned with statutory rules on normal working hours, overtime, night work, and rest periods, and that managers are trained to apply these rules consistently. Proactive compliance – including regular audits of working‑time records and prompt correction of any issues – will help you avoid disputes, inspections, and financial penalties.

• Standard Working Hours
• Overtime Thresholds
• Overtime Pay Rates
• Daily And Weekly Rest Requirements
• Night Work Restrictions
• Penalties For Non-Compliance

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Armenia?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 5 hours per day and 24 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 Armenia

Under Armenian labour legislation, the general standard for normal working time is 40 hours per week, usually structured as 8 hours per day over a five‑day workweek. The law treats any time worked beyond the employee’s established daily or weekly schedule as overtime, which is only permitted in specific cases and with proper documentation. Shortened working time applies to certain categories of employees – including minors, employees in hazardous or particularly strenuous roles, and some medical or shift‑based workers – and you must ensure that their schedules do not exceed the reduced statutory limits.

For minors aged 16–18, the maximum is typically 36 hours per week, while those aged 14–16 who are legally permitted to work (for example, in light work or vocational training contexts) are limited to 24 hours per week. Daily limits are correspondingly reduced, and you should avoid scheduling minors for long shifts or late‑night work. In all cases, working time must be recorded accurately so you can demonstrate compliance during inspections or disputes.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Process Manufacturing And Heavy Industry
• Healthcare, Emergency, And On‑Call Services
• Transport, Logistics, And Aviation Operations
• Retail, Hospitality, And Tourism With Extended Opening Hours
• IT, Business Process Outsourcing, And Shift‑Based Service Centers

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain highly autonomous specialists in Armenia may have more flexible schedules, but they are not fully exempt from working‑time protections. Employment contracts for executives often provide for an irregular working day, allowing longer or variable hours when business needs require it. However, you must still respect minimum daily and weekly rest, ensure that working time is not excessive, and clearly define expectations in the contract and internal policies.

Where an irregular working day regime is lawfully applied, overtime rules may differ from those for rank‑and‑file employees, but you should document the regime in writing, obtain the employee’s consent, and ensure that compensation – whether through salary, bonuses, or time off – reflects the increased demands. Misclassifying employees as managerial or exempt to avoid overtime obligations can lead to back‑pay claims and administrative penalties.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Armenia

Statutory full‑time work in Armenia is generally defined as 40 hours per week. Most employers implement this as five 8‑hour days, but the Labour Code allows alternative arrangements – such as six shorter days – provided the total normal hours do not exceed the weekly limit and rest requirements are met. Any reduction below 40 hours per week that you introduce for business or collective‑bargaining reasons should be clearly reflected in employment contracts and internal regulations.

Part‑time arrangements are permitted and should specify the reduced daily or weekly hours. Part‑time employees enjoy the same legal protections as full‑time staff, with entitlements such as paid leave and public holidays pro‑rated according to their working time. When planning staffing levels, you should distinguish clearly between normal hours, part‑time schedules, and overtime to avoid inadvertent breaches of working‑time rules.

Overtime Regulations In Armenia

What Counts As Overtime In Armenia?

In Armenia, overtime is generally any working time performed beyond the employee’s established normal daily or weekly schedule, as set out in the employment contract, internal work rules, or collective agreement. For most full‑time employees, this means hours worked beyond 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. Overtime must usually be based on an employer’s written order and, except in emergencies, requires the employee’s consent.

Work performed on weekly rest days, public holidays, or at night may also qualify for enhanced pay, even if the total weekly hours do not exceed 40, depending on how the schedule is structured. You should maintain detailed time‑tracking records – including start and end times, breaks, and any call‑back or on‑call work – to correctly identify overtime and calculate the corresponding compensation or time off in lieu.

Maximum Overtime In Armenia

Armenian law restricts the amount of overtime that can be imposed to protect employee health and safety. While specific quantitative caps can vary depending on the category of employee and the nature of the work, the general principle is that overtime must be exceptional, not systematic, and should not result in an overall working time that endangers the employee’s well‑being. Certain vulnerable groups – such as pregnant employees, employees with young children, and minors – are either prohibited from working overtime or may only do so under very strict conditions.

As an employer, you should adopt internal policies that set clear monthly and annual limits on overtime, require managerial approval before overtime is scheduled, and provide for regular review of overtime levels. Where production or service demands are consistently high, it is safer to adjust staffing levels or shift patterns rather than relying on continuous overtime, which can attract scrutiny from labour authorities.

Overtime Payout Rates In Armenia

Overtime in Armenia must be compensated at a higher rate than normal working hours. The Labour Code requires increased pay for overtime work, work performed on rest days and public holidays, and night work. In practice, this is often implemented as a percentage premium on the employee’s regular hourly rate – for example, at least 50 percent above the normal rate for overtime hours – or through a combination of pay and additional rest time, provided the employee’s total compensation is not less favourable than the statutory minimum.

Your internal regulations, collective agreements, and employment contracts should specify the exact multipliers or fixed premiums that apply to overtime, night work, and work on holidays. You should also define whether employees may receive compensatory time off in lieu of cash payment, and under what conditions. Transparent rules, accurate timekeeping, and timely payment of overtime are essential to avoid disputes, claims for back pay, and potential penalties from labour inspectors.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Armenia

Employees in Armenia typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and the Labour Code links rest periods and breaks directly to these standard working hours. Within each workday, employees who work more than a set number of hours must receive a meal break, and between working days they are entitled to uninterrupted daily rest, as well as a longer weekly rest period. When you design schedules – whether for standard daytime shifts or irregular and shift‑based work – you must ensure that these breaks and rest periods are built into the roster so that total working time and rest entitlements remain compliant.

• Meal Break Requirements
• Daily Rest
• Weekly Rest
• Minors
• Employer Duties