Working Hours and Overtime in Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan, 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.

Employers should establish clear working-time rules that align with the Labour Code, including standard schedules, overtime approval procedures, and documentation practices. Contracts and internal policies need to reflect statutory limits on daily and weekly hours, premium pay for overtime, and guaranteed daily and weekly rest. By 2026, regulators are expected to continue tightening enforcement around accurate timekeeping, protection of vulnerable workers, and prevention of excessive overtime, making robust compliance systems and transparent payroll calculations increasingly important.

• 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 Azerbaijan?

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 Azerbaijan

Under the Labour Code of Azerbaijan, the general statutory working time for adult employees is 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, usually spread over a five-day workweek with two rest days. A six-day schedule is permitted in some sectors, but the total weekly hours must still not exceed 40, which means shorter daily shifts. Reduced working hours apply to certain categories of workers, including minors, employees working in harmful or hazardous conditions, and some employees with disabilities or medical restrictions. Working time must be recorded accurately, and any work performed beyond the employee’s established daily or weekly schedule is treated as overtime and subject to additional protections.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous-Process Manufacturing And Energy Production
• Healthcare, Emergency, And Rescue Services
• Transport, Communications, And Public Utilities
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance Services
• Seasonal Agriculture And Food Processing
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Retail With Extended Hours

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain highly autonomous specialists in Azerbaijan may have more flexible schedules, but they are not fully exempt from working-time protections. Employment contracts and internal policies can provide for irregular or extended hours for executives, heads of branches, and key decision-makers, yet employers must still respect health and safety limits, ensure adequate rest, and clearly define expectations in writing. Where managers are required to work beyond the normal 40-hour week on a regular basis, the employer should either compensate this through overtime pay, enhanced salary that clearly covers irregular hours, or additional rest days, in line with the Labour Code and any applicable collective agreements. Misclassifying ordinary staff as “managers” to avoid overtime obligations can expose employers to inspections and sanctions.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Azerbaijan

Statutory full-time work in Azerbaijan is generally defined as 40 hours per week for adult employees, typically organized as five 8-hour days. For employees working in harmful or hazardous conditions, the statutory weekly limit is usually reduced to 36 hours or less, depending on the level of risk and specific regulations. Minors aged 15 to 16 are limited to 24 hours per week, while those aged 16 to 18 are limited to 36 hours per week. Any schedule that exceeds these statutory limits must be treated as overtime and requires the employee’s consent and appropriate compensation. Employers should formalize full-time schedules in employment contracts and internal regulations, and maintain reliable timekeeping systems to demonstrate compliance.

Overtime Regulations In Azerbaijan

What Counts As Overtime In Azerbaijan?

In Azerbaijan, overtime is generally any work performed beyond the employee’s established normal working hours, most commonly beyond 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week for adult employees. Overtime can arise from extended daily shifts, work on weekly rest days, or work on public holidays. The Labour Code requires that overtime be used only in exceptional cases, such as urgent production needs, prevention of accidents, or continuity of essential services. Except in emergencies, employers must obtain the employee’s written consent before assigning overtime and must not use overtime to systematically compensate for poor planning or chronic understaffing. All overtime hours must be recorded accurately and reflected in payroll calculations.

Maximum Overtime In Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani law limits the amount of overtime that can be imposed on employees to protect their health and safety. As a general rule, overtime for an individual employee should not exceed 2 hours on a given day and should remain within strict monthly and annual caps, which are typically set at 4 hours over two consecutive days and around 120 hours per year, unless a more protective limit is established by a collective agreement or internal policy. Certain vulnerable categories of workers – including pregnant employees, employees with medically certified health conditions, and minors – are either prohibited from overtime or subject to tighter restrictions. Employers must monitor cumulative overtime carefully and adjust staffing or shift patterns to avoid breaching these limits.

Overtime Payout Rates In Azerbaijan

Overtime work in Azerbaijan must be compensated at premium rates above the employee’s regular hourly wage. For work performed beyond normal daily or weekly hours, the Labour Code generally requires payment of at least 150 percent of the employee’s regular rate for each overtime hour. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is usually compensated at a higher rate, commonly at least double the regular hourly wage, or by granting equivalent paid time off if the employee agrees. Collective agreements or company policies may provide more generous multipliers, but never less than the statutory minimum. Employers should clearly describe overtime rates and calculation methods in employment contracts and payroll policies, ensure that timekeeping data is accurate, and reflect overtime payments transparently on payslips.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan, most adult employees work around 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and the Labour Code links rest periods and breaks directly to these standard working hours to protect employee health and productivity. Employees who work more than a set number of hours in a day must receive a meal break, and they are also entitled to daily rest between shifts and weekly rest days, with additional protections for minors and those in hazardous roles. Employers must design schedules so that these breaks and rest periods are respected in practice, not just on paper.

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