Working Hours and Overtime in El Salvador

In El Salvador, 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.

Looking ahead to 2026, regulators are expected to continue focusing on accurate timekeeping, proper overtime premiums, and protection of vulnerable workers such as minors and night-shift staff. You should regularly review contracts, shift patterns, and payroll calculations to ensure they reflect current legal standards, and be prepared for potential digital inspections or audits that verify working-time data and rest compliance.

• 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 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 adult employees is 44 hours, typically spread over no more than 6 days, with a common pattern of 8 hours per day from Monday to Friday and a shorter shift on Saturday. Daytime work is generally defined as work performed between 6:00 and 19:00, while night work and mixed shifts are subject to lower daily and weekly limits due to the increased strain on employees. You should structure schedules so that employees do not exceed the statutory daily and weekly caps, and ensure that any work beyond those limits is treated and compensated as overtime.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Hospital And Health Care Services
• Hospitality, Hotels, And Restaurants
• Security, Surveillance, And Guard Services
• Transportation And Logistics Operations
• Agriculture, Coffee Harvest, And Seasonal Work
• Continuous-Process Manufacturing And Utilities

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Managers, senior executives, and employees who exercise broad decision-making authority may be treated differently for scheduling purposes, but they are not automatically exempt from all working-time protections. Even for high-level staff, you should respect reasonable daily and weekly limits, provide adequate rest, and clearly document any arrangements that deviate from standard schedules. If you classify an employee as managerial or exempt from overtime, ensure that their job description, actual duties, and compensation level support that classification, and keep written agreements that outline their working-time expectations and availability.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In El Salvador

Full-time employment in El Salvador is generally based on the statutory 44-hour daytime workweek for adults. Night work and mixed shifts usually have lower weekly limits, so full-time status in those arrangements may be tied to a reduced number of hours. When designing full-time roles, you should align contracts, internal policies, and payroll systems with these statutory limits, specify the normal daily schedule, and clarify how any additional hours will be authorized and compensated. Maintaining accurate time records for all full-time staff is essential to demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection or dispute.

Overtime Regulations In El Salvador

What Counts As Overtime In El Salvador?

Overtime in El Salvador generally refers to any working time that exceeds the statutory daily or weekly limits applicable to the employee’s schedule, such as more than 8 hours in a standard daytime shift or more than 44 hours in a week for adult daytime workers. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is also typically treated as overtime or as specially compensated work. To remain compliant, you should require prior authorization for overtime, record the exact hours worked each day, and distinguish clearly between regular hours, overtime hours, and work performed at night or on holidays.

Maximum Overtime In El Salvador

Salvadoran law restricts the amount of overtime that can be imposed on employees, both on a daily and weekly basis. As a general rule, overtime should be exceptional, not routine, and daily overtime should not exceed a few additional hours beyond the normal shift, with weekly totals kept within reasonable bounds to protect employee health and safety. You should avoid scheduling patterns that rely on constant overtime, and instead use workforce planning, shift rotation, and temporary staffing to cover peak periods. In emergencies or force majeure situations, additional overtime may be permitted, but you must still pay the correct premium rates and return to normal schedules as soon as possible.

Overtime Payout Rates In El Salvador

Overtime hours in El Salvador must be compensated at premium rates above the employee’s regular hourly wage. Daytime overtime is typically paid at a higher percentage over the base rate, while night overtime, work on weekly rest days, and work on public holidays may attract even higher premiums. You should define these rates clearly in employment contracts and payroll policies, ensure that your timekeeping system correctly identifies the type of overtime worked, and verify that all mandatory surcharges are applied. When calculating overtime, base the premium on the employee’s ordinary remuneration, including any fixed salary components that form part of their normal pay.

Rest Periods And Breaks In El Salvador

In El Salvador, employees commonly work up to 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week, and the law links rest periods and breaks directly to these limits to protect health and productivity. As an employer, you must build meal breaks, daily rest between shifts, and weekly rest days into your scheduling so that employees who approach the maximum daily or weekly hours still receive uninterrupted time away from work.

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