Working Hours and Overtime in Egypt

In Egypt, 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 design work schedules that respect the statutory 8-hour daily and 48-hour weekly limits, apply overtime only when genuinely needed, and ensure that all additional hours are properly authorized, recorded, and compensated at the correct premium rates. Looking ahead to 2026, regulators are expected to continue focusing on enforcement of working-time rules, transparent timekeeping systems, and the protection of vulnerable workers, particularly in sectors with long or irregular hours. Proactive compliance – including clear policies, accurate records, and regular audits – will help reduce legal risk and support employee wellbeing.

• 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 Egypt?

An employee whose age is 17 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 48 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 60 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 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Egypt

Under Egyptian labor law, the general limit for adult employees is 8 working hours per day and 48 hours per week, excluding unpaid meal and rest breaks. These limits are designed to protect employee health and safety while still allowing employers to organize work efficiently. Daily working time should normally be spread over no more than 10 hours, including breaks, so that actual working time does not exceed 8 hours. Employers should clearly define working schedules in employment contracts and internal regulations, and must ensure that any additional hours beyond these limits are treated and compensated as overtime in line with statutory rules.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Process Industries (Such As Energy And Utilities)
• Tourism, Hotels, And Hospitality Services
• Transport, Shipping, And Port Operations
• Healthcare Facilities And Emergency Services
• Seasonal Agricultural And Harvest Work

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff and employees in positions of trust may be subject to more flexible working arrangements, particularly where their duties require irregular or extended hours. While Egyptian law does not completely exclude managers from working time protections, in practice many employers agree on broader availability expectations for executives, department heads, and key specialists. Employers should clearly document in contracts when a role is considered managerial or supervisory, specify whether overtime is included in the salary, and ensure that workloads remain reasonable to avoid health and safety risks or claims of abuse. Even for exempt roles, it is prudent to monitor total hours and provide adequate rest and recovery time.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Egypt

Full-time employment in Egypt is generally based on a schedule of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, typically spread over 6 working days, although many private employers adopt a 5-day week with 40 hours of actual work and adjust pay and benefits accordingly. Any arrangement that exceeds these statutory limits must be treated as overtime and compensated at the legally mandated premium rates. Employers should maintain accurate timekeeping records, communicate standard hours and shift patterns in writing, and regularly review rosters to ensure that employees do not systematically exceed the statutory full-time limits without proper overtime authorization and pay.

Overtime Regulations In Egypt

What Counts As Overtime In Egypt?

In Egypt, overtime is generally any working time performed beyond the statutory limit of 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week for adult employees, as well as work performed during weekly rest days or official public holidays. Overtime must be requested or approved by the employer and should be necessary for business needs such as peak workloads, urgent operational requirements, or seasonal demand. Employers should implement a clear internal policy that defines when overtime is allowed, how it is requested and approved, and how it is recorded, so that both managers and employees understand when additional hours qualify for premium pay.

Maximum Overtime In Egypt

Egyptian labor rules require that overtime be exceptional rather than routine. While the law allows employers to request additional hours in specific circumstances, total working time, including overtime, should not endanger employee health or safety and should not systematically exceed the equivalent of 10 hours per day. Employers should set internal caps on monthly and annual overtime, obtain employee consent where required, and avoid patterns where overtime becomes a permanent substitute for adequate staffing. Special caution is needed for night work, hazardous activities, and vulnerable groups such as young workers and pregnant employees, for whom stricter limits or prohibitions may apply.

Overtime Payout Rates In Egypt

Overtime in Egypt must be compensated at premium rates above the employee’s normal hourly wage. As a general guideline, work performed beyond normal daily or weekly hours during daytime is typically paid at not less than 135% of the regular wage, while night overtime and work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is compensated at higher rates, often 170% to 200% of the regular wage or with equivalent paid time off, depending on the circumstances and any applicable collective agreements. Employers should calculate the basic hourly rate by dividing the monthly salary by the statutory number of working hours, apply the correct premium percentage, and clearly itemize overtime payments on payslips to ensure transparency and compliance.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Egypt

Employees in Egypt typically work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and the law links rest periods and breaks directly to these limits by requiring that employees receive at least one uninterrupted meal and rest break when daily work exceeds 6 hours, as well as daily and weekly rest periods that ensure sufficient recovery between shifts and protection against excessive working time.

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