Working Hours and Overtime in El Salvador

What Are The Standard Working Hours In El Salvador?

An employee whose age is 17 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 34 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 44 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 El Salvador

Under Salvadoran labor law, the standard daytime workweek for adults is 44 hours, usually spread over no more than 6 days, which implies a typical daily limit of around 8 hours. Night work is capped at 39 hours per week, and mixed shifts that include both day and night work are capped at 42 hours per week. You must distribute hours so that employees do not exceed these weekly limits except when properly authorized overtime is used.

Daily schedules should be clearly set out in employment contracts or internal policies, and any changes should be communicated in advance. Collective bargaining agreements may provide for different daily distributions of hours, but they cannot waive the statutory weekly caps of 44, 42, or 39 hours depending on the shift type. As an employer, you must keep accurate time records to demonstrate compliance with these limits.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In El Salvador, continuous operations such as hospitals, hotels, and certain manufacturing plants may organize work in rotating shifts, provided that the weekly limits for daytime, nighttime, or mixed work are respected. You should review any sectoral collective agreements or special regulations that apply to your industry.

• Healthcare professionals may work 12-hour shifts with extended rest periods.
• Transport workers must comply with EU-aligned rest and driving limits.
• Manufacturing and security staff often rotate through night or weekend shifts.

Even in these sectors, you must ensure the average weekly limit is respected over a reference period. When longer shifts are used, you should compensate by granting longer daily or weekly rest so that employees are not effectively pushed beyond lawful working time. Written shift rosters and documented consent for atypical schedules are strongly recommended.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

In El Salvador, senior managers, trusted employees, and those who do not have their working time controlled in practice may be treated as exempt from some working time rules, particularly overtime pay. However, they are still protected by general health and safety principles, and you should avoid schedules that are manifestly excessive or unsafe. Their status as exempt should be clearly defined in the employment contract, including their responsibilities and expected availability.

Courts and labor inspectors will look at the reality of the role, not just the job title, when deciding whether an employee is truly exempt. If a so‑called managerial employee is subject to strict time control and performs mainly operational tasks, they may be reclassified and entitled to overtime. To reduce risk, ensure that exempt roles genuinely involve decision‑making authority and a high degree of autonomy.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In El Salvador

Statutory full‑time work for daytime schedules in El Salvador is generally understood as 44 hours per week for adults. For employees working exclusively at night, full‑time is 39 hours per week, while mixed shifts are capped at 42 hours per week. You should classify full‑time roles according to the applicable schedule type and reflect this in contracts and payroll.

Part‑time arrangements are permitted as long as the agreed hours are clearly documented and do not exceed the statutory full‑time caps. Employees working part‑time remain entitled to proportional benefits, including rest periods and overtime premiums when they exceed their agreed schedule or the legal thresholds. Consistent documentation of agreed hours and any changes is essential to avoid disputes.

Overtime Regulations In El Salvador

Employers in El Salvador must closely monitor and record all hours worked beyond the statutory limits of 44 daytime hours, 42 mixed hours, or 39 night hours per week. Overtime must be authorized, recorded on timesheets or electronic systems, and reflected accurately in payroll with the correct premium rates. Failure to comply exposes you to back‑pay claims, fines, and potential labor litigation.

What Counts As Overtime In El Salvador?

Overtime in El Salvador is any time worked beyond the applicable statutory weekly limit for the type of schedule, meaning more than 44 hours for daytime work, more than 42 hours for mixed shifts, or more than 39 hours for night work. Work performed beyond the normal daily schedule but still within the weekly cap may also be treated as overtime if it exceeds the hours agreed in the contract. You should define in writing how daily and weekly overtime is requested, approved, and compensated.

Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day, typically Sunday, or on a public holiday is also treated as overtime and attracts higher premium rates. In these cases, the hours count both as overtime and as work on a rest day or holiday, which triggers specific pay obligations. You must obtain the employee’s consent where required and provide substitute rest when the normal weekly rest day is worked.

Maximum Overtime In El Salvador

Salvadoran law generally limits overtime to a maximum of 4 hours per day and 8 hours per week per employee, in addition to the standard weekly hours. This means that a daytime worker should not normally exceed 52 total hours in a week, combining regular and overtime hours. You must organize staffing so that peaks in demand are covered without systematically breaching these limits.

In exceptional circumstances such as accidents, force majeure, or urgent repairs, temporary deviations may be tolerated, but they must remain truly exceptional and justifiable. Any such situations should be documented, and you should return to normal schedules as soon as possible. Persistent use of overtime near or above the 8‑hour weekly cap can attract scrutiny from labor inspectors.

Overtime Payout Rates In El Salvador

In El Salvador, regular overtime worked on ordinary working days must be paid at a minimum of 200% of the employee’s ordinary hourly wage, meaning a 2.0x multiplier. Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day, typically Sunday, is generally compensated at 200% of the ordinary wage plus the grant of a substitute rest day, effectively combining a 2.0x rate with additional time off. You should ensure your payroll system is configured to apply at least these minimum multipliers.

Work on official public holidays is usually paid at 200% of the ordinary wage, and if the holiday coincides with the weekly rest day, the same 2.0x minimum applies along with substitute rest. If a collective agreement or company policy offers higher rates, such as 250% or 2.5x for holidays, those more favorable terms will govern. All overtime premiums should be itemized separately on payslips to provide transparency and evidence of compliance.

Rest Periods And Breaks In El Salvador

In El Salvador, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week on daytime schedules, with lower weekly limits for night and mixed work. Within these limits, the law requires that workers receive meal breaks and daily and weekly rest to protect their health and safety. As an employer, you must structure shifts so that these rest periods are actually taken and not just recorded on paper.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 hours in a day must receive at least a 30‑minute uninterrupted meal break, which is usually unpaid unless company policy states otherwise.
• Daily Rest: Workers are entitled to a minimum of 8 consecutive hours of rest between working days, and in practice many employers provide 11 to 12 hours to align with shift patterns.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, typically on Sunday, and if they work on that day you must grant a substitute rest day.
• Minors: Workers under 18 are subject to shorter daily and weekly limits and must receive adequate breaks, with authorities paying particular attention to avoiding long or late shifts for minors.
• Employer Duty: Employers must schedule and enforce breaks and rest periods, keep records, and adjust staffing so that operational demands do not systematically erode employees’ legal rest.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In El Salvador

Night and weekend work are legal in El Salvador but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay attention to reduced weekly limits for night and mixed work, apply any applicable premiums, and ensure that health and safety risks are properly managed.

Night work in El Salvador is generally defined as work performed between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and employees who regularly work during this window are considered night workers. The statutory weekly limit for night work is 39 hours, which is lower than the 44‑hour daytime limit, and you must organize schedules accordingly.

• Premium Pay: Salvadoran law does not mandate a specific numerical night work premium beyond the reduced 39‑hour weekly limit, so there is no statutory extra percentage such as 25% or 1.25x for night hours; in practice, many employers voluntarily pay a night differential of around 10%–25% above the base hourly rate to attract staff.
• Health Monitoring: While there is no detailed statutory schedule for medical checks, employers are expected under general occupational health rules to assess risks for regular night workers and to offer periodic health evaluations where night work could affect sleep, cardiovascular health, or safety.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors are generally prohibited from performing night work, and pregnant workers should be reassigned away from night shifts where medical advice indicates a risk, with any change in schedule or duties documented.

Weekend work, especially on Sunday, is permitted but Sunday is typically treated as the weekly rest day and should be kept free of work whenever possible. If employees work on Sunday or another designated weekly rest day, you must pay at least 200% of the ordinary wage for those hours and grant a substitute rest day to remain compliant.