Working Hours and Overtime in Eritrea

In Eritrea, 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 regulations continue to evolve toward 2026, employers should expect closer scrutiny of working-time records, stronger enforcement of rest and overtime rules, and a growing expectation that companies proactively manage fatigue and work–life balance. You should review contracts, policies, and scheduling practices to ensure that standard hours, overtime triggers, and premium pay rates are clearly defined, consistently applied, and aligned with Eritrean labour standards. Investing in reliable timekeeping systems, supervisor training, and transparent communication with employees will help you anticipate regulatory changes, reduce the risk of disputes, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to safe and sustainable working conditions.

• 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 Eritrea?

An employee whose age is 14 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. An employee whose age is 15 or older is allowed to work 48 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 30 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 5 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Eritrea

Under Eritrean labour practice, the standard full-time schedule is generally based on 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult employees. Employers should structure rosters so that the daily and weekly limits are not exceeded on a regular basis, and any work beyond these limits should be treated as overtime. For operational reasons, you may distribute hours unevenly across the week, but the average over the reference period should not surpass the statutory weekly maximum. You should also ensure that working time records clearly distinguish between ordinary hours and overtime to demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection or dispute.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Process Manufacturing And Utilities
• Healthcare And Emergency Services
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Catering
• Transport, Logistics, And Port Operations
• Agriculture And Seasonal Harvest Work

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and employees in positions of trust often have broader flexibility in their schedules and may not be subject to the same strict hourly limits as rank-and-file staff. However, you should not assume that all managers are automatically exempt from working-time protections. Clearly define managerial status in employment contracts, specify whether the role is paid on a salary basis that already compensates for additional hours, and ensure that these employees still receive reasonable rest periods and days off. When in doubt, apply the protective rules on working hours and overtime rather than relying on an exemption that may be challenged.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Eritrea

For most sectors, full-time employment in Eritrea is based on a 48-hour workweek, typically spread over 6 working days or concentrated into 5 longer days depending on operational needs. When designing work schedules, employers should align contractual hours with this benchmark, specify the normal daily start and end times, and indicate how breaks are handled. Part-time and shift-based arrangements should be expressed as a proportion of the standard weekly hours, with clear rules on when overtime begins. Maintaining transparent written terms and accurate timekeeping systems is essential to demonstrate that employees are not routinely working beyond the statutory full-time limits without appropriate overtime compensation.

Overtime Regulations In Eritrea

What Counts As Overtime In Eritrea?

Overtime in Eritrea is generally understood as any working time performed beyond the employee’s contracted normal hours, typically more than 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week for adult full-time employees. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is also usually treated as overtime, even if the weekly total remains within 48 hours. To avoid disputes, employers should define ordinary hours and overtime triggers in employment contracts and internal policies, and obtain prior approval for overtime work wherever possible. Accurate timekeeping – including start and end times, breaks, and any work performed outside the usual schedule – is critical to correctly identify and compensate overtime.

Maximum Overtime In Eritrea

While Eritrean law aims to prevent excessive working hours, it allows overtime in limited and justified circumstances, such as urgent work, seasonal peaks, or unforeseen operational needs. As a best-practice guideline, employers should avoid scheduling more than 2 additional hours per day and should keep total weekly working time, including overtime, within 56 to 60 hours at most. Regular reliance on overtime to cover normal staffing needs can be viewed as non-compliant and may expose you to legal and health-and-safety risks. You should implement internal approval procedures for overtime, monitor cumulative hours over weekly and monthly periods, and ensure that employees still receive their required daily and weekly rest.

Overtime Payout Rates In Eritrea

Overtime work in Eritrea is typically compensated at a premium above the employee’s regular hourly rate to reflect the additional burden placed on the worker. Common practice is to pay at least 125% of the normal rate for overtime performed on ordinary working days, with higher multipliers – for example 150% or 200% – for work performed at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays. Employers may also agree to provide time off in lieu of paid overtime, but only if this is clearly documented and the compensatory rest is granted within a reasonable period. Whatever structure you adopt, ensure that your overtime rates and rules are set out in writing, consistently applied, and never fall below the minimum standards established by Eritrean labour regulations or applicable collective agreements.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Eritrea

In Eritrea, employees typically work around 8 hours per day and up to 48 hours per week, and rest periods and breaks are designed to protect health and safety within these limits. Employers must build meal and rest breaks into the working day, ensure that daily shifts are separated by sufficient off-duty time, and guarantee at least one regular weekly rest period so that total working hours – including any overtime – do not undermine employee wellbeing or lead to fatigue-related risks.

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