Working Hours and Overtime in Cameroon

In Cameroon, 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 staffing and scheduling through 2026, you should expect continued scrutiny from labour authorities on accurate timekeeping, proper overtime compensation, and respect for daily and weekly rest. Implementing clear policies, reliable time-tracking systems, and regular manager training will help you demonstrate compliance, respond effectively to inspections, and adapt quickly if regulations or enforcement practices evolve.

• 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 Cameroon?

An employee whose age is 18 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 Cameroon

Under Cameroonian labour law, the general statutory limit for full-time employees in the private sector is 40 hours per week, usually spread over five or six days. Daily working time is commonly capped at 8 hours, although the law allows some flexibility in scheduling as long as the weekly ceiling is respected and employees receive the required rest periods. Employers should clearly define working schedules in employment contracts or internal regulations and ensure that any variation in hours is documented and communicated in advance.

Working time includes all periods during which the employee is at the employer’s disposal and carrying out duties or waiting to perform work. Preparatory and closing activities that are integral to the job – such as opening or closing premises, mandatory briefings, or equipment checks – generally count as working time. Travel between worksites during the day is also typically considered working time, whereas commuting from home to the usual workplace is not.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Hospital And Health Services
• Hotels, Restaurants, And Tourism
• Transport, Logistics, And Port Operations
• Agriculture, Plantations, And Seasonal Work
• Security, Surveillance, And Guard Services
• Continuous Process Industries And Manufacturing

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff and certain categories of highly autonomous employees may be treated differently from standard hourly workers. In practice, these employees often work beyond the normal 40-hour week without the same overtime entitlements, provided their higher level of responsibility and remuneration compensates for the additional hours. However, employers should be cautious when classifying employees as managerial or exempt and ensure that the job description, decision-making authority, and pay level genuinely reflect this status.

Even for managerial employees, employers remain responsible for protecting health and safety, avoiding excessive workloads, and respecting minimum daily and weekly rest periods. Written contracts should clearly state whether the employee is subject to standard working-time rules or a more global working-time arrangement, and how any additional hours are compensated – whether through salary, bonuses, or time off in lieu.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Cameroon

Statutory full-time employment in Cameroon is generally based on a 40-hour workweek. This benchmark is used to distinguish full-time from part-time work, calculate overtime, and determine certain social security and benefit thresholds. Employees working fewer hours than the statutory norm are typically considered part-time, and their pay and benefits may be prorated according to the number of hours worked.

Employers should maintain accurate records of hours worked for all employees, including part-time and shift workers, to demonstrate compliance with the statutory limits. Any company policies that set a lower internal standard – for example, 37.5 hours per week – must still respect the legal framework for overtime and rest, and should be consistently applied across the workforce to avoid discrimination claims.

Overtime Regulations In Cameroon

What Counts As Overtime In Cameroon?

Overtime in Cameroon is generally any authorized working time performed beyond the statutory 40-hour workweek or beyond the normal daily schedule established in the employment contract or internal rules. To qualify as overtime, the additional hours must be requested or at least expressly or implicitly approved by the employer. Employers should avoid informal practices where employees work extra hours without clear authorization, as these hours may still be considered payable overtime if the employer knew or should have known about them.

Overtime rules apply primarily to non-managerial employees who are subject to the standard working-time regime. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is usually treated as overtime or special work with enhanced compensation. Night work – typically defined as work performed during a specified night period – may attract additional premiums on top of overtime rates, especially in sectors such as security, health care, and transport.

Maximum Overtime In Cameroon

Cameroonian labour law places limits on the amount of overtime that can be performed to protect employee health and safety. While specific caps can vary by sector and may be supplemented by collective agreements, employers should assume that overtime must remain exceptional and not a permanent substitute for proper staffing. As a general guide, overtime should not regularly push total working time beyond levels that would be considered reasonable by labour inspectors or courts.

Employers are expected to plan workloads and staffing levels so that overtime is used only when necessary – for example, to handle seasonal peaks, urgent orders, or unforeseen absences. In some cases, prior authorization from the labour administration may be required for extended overtime or for certain categories of workers, such as young workers or pregnant employees. Keeping detailed records of overtime hours and the reasons for them is essential for demonstrating compliance.

Overtime Payout Rates In Cameroon

Overtime hours in Cameroon must be compensated at higher rates than normal working hours. Although exact percentages can vary depending on the time of day, the day of the week, and applicable collective agreements, employers should expect to pay a premium over the employee’s regular hourly wage for all qualifying overtime. Work performed at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays typically attracts even higher premiums.

Employers may, in some circumstances, agree with employees or through collective bargaining to compensate overtime with equivalent paid time off instead of cash, provided the arrangement is clearly documented and does not disadvantage the employee. Whatever method is used, the calculation basis – including the definition of the normal hourly rate and any included allowances – should be transparent and consistently applied. Payroll systems must be configured to correctly track overtime hours and apply the appropriate multipliers so that employees receive the full entitlements required by law.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Cameroon

In Cameroon, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods and breaks are designed to ensure that these hours are worked safely and sustainably. Employers must integrate meal breaks, daily rest, and weekly rest into work schedules so that employees are not required to work continuously for long stretches without adequate recovery time, and must pay particular attention to vulnerable groups such as young workers and night staff.

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