Working Hours and Overtime in Benin

In Benin, 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.

As you plan workforce needs through 2026, you should expect closer scrutiny of working-time records, stronger enforcement of rest and overtime rules, and growing expectations from employees for predictable schedules and transparent pay calculations. Implementing clear policies, accurate timekeeping systems, and regular manager training will help you align with current regulations, adapt to any future reforms, and reduce the risk of disputes or sanctions.

• 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 Benin?

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 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Benin

Under Beninese labour practice, the statutory full-time schedule is generally based on 40 hours per week, usually spread over five 8-hour days. You should structure working time so that employees do not exceed 8 hours per day in normal circumstances and do not surpass the 40-hour weekly ceiling averaged over the applicable reference period. Any time worked beyond these limits is typically treated as overtime and must be compensated at enhanced rates or offset with time off in lieu where permitted by law or collective agreement.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Process Industries – Such As Utilities And Certain Manufacturing Operations
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Catering – Including Hotels, Restaurants, And Bars
• Healthcare And Emergency Services – Hospitals, Clinics, And Ambulance Services
• Transport And Logistics – Road Transport, Ports, And Warehousing
• Agriculture And Seasonal Work – Especially During Planting And Harvest Periods

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain categories of highly autonomous employees may be subject to more flexible working-time arrangements. While they are still protected by general health and safety principles, their schedules can deviate from standard daily and weekly limits, particularly where they manage their own time or are entrusted with significant decision-making authority. You should clearly define any such status in the employment contract, specify how working time will be monitored, and ensure that these employees still receive reasonable rest periods and do not work excessive hours that could endanger their health.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Benin

For most sectors, full-time employment in Benin is based on a 40-hour workweek. This is commonly organized as eight hours per day from Monday to Friday, though collective agreements or internal policies may distribute hours differently as long as the weekly total and rest requirements are respected. When designing work schedules, you should verify any applicable sectoral collective agreements, ensure that part-time arrangements are documented with proportional hours and benefits, and keep accurate records of actual hours worked to demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection or dispute.

Overtime Regulations In Benin

What Counts As Overtime In Benin?

In Benin, overtime generally refers to any working time performed beyond the statutory full-time schedule of 40 hours per week or beyond the normal daily hours set in the employment contract or collective agreement. You should treat hours worked at your request, with your knowledge, or for your benefit as working time, even if they are not formally pre-approved. Preparatory and closing tasks that are integral to the job, mandatory training outside normal hours, and time spent on-call at the workplace can also qualify as working time and may trigger overtime once weekly or daily thresholds are exceeded.

Maximum Overtime In Benin

Beninese labour rules aim to limit excessive overtime to protect employee health and safety. As a best-practice benchmark, you should avoid scheduling employees for more than 10 hours of work per day including overtime, and you should cap overtime at roughly 20 hours per month and 120 hours per year unless a collective agreement or specific authorization provides otherwise. Any exceptional increase in overtime should be temporary, justified by operational needs, and documented. You must also ensure that daily and weekly rest periods are preserved even when overtime is used to meet production peaks or service demands.

Overtime Payout Rates In Benin

Overtime in Benin is typically compensated at premium rates calculated on the employee’s regular hourly wage. While exact percentages can vary by sectoral agreement, a common structure is to pay at least 15–30% above the base rate for the first block of overtime hours and higher premiums for additional hours, night work, or work performed on weekly rest days and public holidays. Where permitted, you may agree in writing to provide time off in lieu of paid overtime, but the compensatory rest must be equivalent in value to the premium that would otherwise have been paid and should be taken within a reasonable period. Always check the applicable collective agreement or company policy and communicate the overtime calculation method clearly in employment contracts and payslips.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Benin

In Benin, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and you must organize rest periods and breaks so that these hours do not compromise employee health and safety. This includes providing a minimum uninterrupted meal break when daily working time exceeds a set threshold, ensuring sufficient daily rest between shifts, and guaranteeing at least one full day of weekly rest, all of which must be integrated into your scheduling and overtime practices.

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