Working Hours and Overtime in Estonia

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Estonia?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 7 hours per day and 35 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 9:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Estonia

In Estonia, the general statutory limit for full-time work is 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, calculated over a seven-day period. You may use summarised working time arrangements where daily hours can exceed 8, provided that the average does not surpass 40 hours per week over a reference period of up to 4 months. When using such flexible schedules, you must document the reference period and ensure that employees are informed of their working time pattern in advance.

Collective agreements or individual contracts may set shorter standard hours or additional protections but cannot lawfully increase the statutory weekly maximum beyond 40 hours without treating the excess as overtime. You are required to keep accurate working time records that show daily and weekly hours, including overtime and on-call time. Failure to monitor and control total hours can lead to breaches of health and safety obligations and administrative penalties.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In healthcare and certain emergency services, shifts of up to 24 hours are possible under summarised working time, but the average weekly working time must still not exceed 48 hours including overtime over the reference period. In road transport and passenger services, EU driving time and rest rules override general national limits and require detailed tachograph-based recordkeeping.

• 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. You should also conduct risk assessments for long or irregular shifts and adapt staffing levels to avoid systematic overwork.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

In Estonia, senior managerial employees may have more flexible working time arrangements, but they are not fully exempt from working time protections. Their contracts can provide for broader availability and irregular schedules, yet daily and weekly rest requirements and health and safety rules still apply. If you agree that a manager’s salary already covers a certain amount of overtime, this must be clearly specified in the employment contract.

For highly autonomous roles, you may use trust-based working time where employees manage their own schedules, but you remain responsible for ensuring that average working hours do not exceed 48 hours per week including overtime. You should periodically review workload and recorded hours to confirm that contractual expectations are realistic. Written policies on availability, email use, and after-hours work help demonstrate compliance.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Estonia

Statutory full-time work in Estonia is defined as 40 hours per week, typically spread over 5 working days. Part-time arrangements may provide any lower number of hours, and part-time employees must receive the same hourly pay and proportional benefits as comparable full-time staff. When you introduce part-time or variable hours, the agreed weekly or monthly working time must be stated in writing.

Summarised working time allows you to vary weekly hours so that some weeks exceed 40 hours and others fall below, as long as the average remains 40 hours per week over a reference period of up to 4 months. In such systems, hours beyond the average 40 per week are treated as overtime and must be compensated accordingly. Clear shift schedules and advance notice are essential to avoid disputes about whether hours are regular or overtime.

Overtime Regulations In Estonia

In Estonia, overtime is only lawful when agreed with the employee or provided for in a collective agreement, and you must keep precise records of all hours worked beyond the standard schedule. You are responsible for ensuring that total working time, including overtime, does not exceed an average of 48 hours per week over the applicable reference period. Non-compliance with overtime rules can lead to labour inspectorate sanctions, back-pay claims, and potential damages for health and safety breaches.

What Counts As Overtime In Estonia?

Overtime in Estonia is generally any working time that exceeds the employee’s agreed daily or weekly working hours, usually beyond 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. In summarised working time systems, overtime is calculated at the end of the reference period as hours exceeding the average of 40 hours per week. Work performed at the employer’s request outside the published schedule, including mandatory call-ins, is also treated as overtime.

Work performed on an employee’s weekly rest day or public holiday is not automatically overtime, but if it causes the average weekly hours to exceed 40, the excess is overtime. Public holiday work must be compensated at least at 2.0x the employee’s regular hourly wage, regardless of whether it is also overtime. If an employee agrees to overtime in writing, you must still respect maximum overtime limits and provide required rest periods.

Maximum Overtime In Estonia

In Estonia, the absolute ceiling for average weekly working time, including overtime, is 48 hours over a reference period of up to 4 months, which corresponds to a maximum average of 8 overtime hours per week above the 40-hour standard. This means that over 4 months, an employee’s total working time should not exceed approximately 832 hours, calculated as 48 hours per week times about 17.3 weeks. In practice, you should plan schedules so that overtime remains well below this ceiling to account for unforeseen absences and operational peaks.

Overtime must always be based on the employee’s consent, except in emergencies where immediate action is required to prevent damage or danger. You should avoid systematic overtime and may not use overtime to replace proper staffing on a long-term basis. Internal policies should set stricter company caps, for example limiting overtime to no more than 10–15 hours per month per employee, even though the law focuses on the 48-hour weekly average.

Overtime Payout Rates In Estonia

Estonian law requires that overtime be compensated at a minimum of 1.5x the employee’s regular hourly wage, meaning a 50% premium for each overtime hour. Alternatively, you may agree with the employee to provide paid time off in lieu at a 1.0x rate for the overtime hours plus maintain the regular salary, but this arrangement must be documented. If a collective agreement or employment contract sets a higher rate, such as 1.75x or 2.0x, you must apply the more favourable term.

For work performed on public holidays, you must pay at least 2.0x the regular hourly wage, even if the hours do not qualify as overtime based on weekly totals. Night work premiums of at least 1.25x and weekend premiums, often 1.25x to 1.5x, are typically agreed in contracts or collective agreements and are paid in addition to any overtime premium where both apply. You should clearly specify in writing how different premiums interact so that employees understand whether they receive cumulative rates, such as 1.5x for overtime plus 1.25x for night work, resulting in 1.875x in total.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Estonia

In Estonia, employees generally work 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect health and safety within this framework. During a standard working day, employees are entitled to a meal break when their shift exceeds 6 hours, and they must also receive uninterrupted daily and weekly rest. When you use summarised working time or irregular schedules, these rest entitlements still apply and must be built into your rota planning.

• Meal Break: Employees whose daily working time exceeds 6 hours must receive a meal break of at least 30 minutes, which may be unpaid if the employee is free to leave the workstation. You should schedule this break so it falls roughly in the middle of the shift and is clearly recorded in the working time schedule.
• Daily Rest: Employees must receive at least 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24-hour period between the end of one workday and the start of the next. In certain sectors using summarised working time, this may be reduced to 9 hours on specific days, but the average must still protect employee health.
• Weekly Rest: Employees are entitled to a minimum of 48 consecutive hours of weekly rest, typically including Sunday. If operational needs require Sunday work, you must provide an equivalent continuous rest period on another day of the week.
• Minors: Employees under 18 have shorter maximum working hours and longer rest requirements, including at least 12 consecutive hours of daily rest. They are generally prohibited from night work and must receive breaks appropriate to their age and workload.
• Employer Duty: You are responsible for organising work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, not just theoretically available. Accurate scheduling and timekeeping systems are essential to demonstrate compliance during inspections by the Labour Inspectorate.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Estonia

Night and weekend work are legal in Estonia but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay attention to working time limits, rest periods, and any applicable premium rates when scheduling such work. Clear written agreements and transparent pay rules are essential to avoid disputes.

Night work in Estonia is generally defined as work performed between 22:00 and 06:00, regardless of the employee’s role. Any employee who regularly works at least 3 hours during this period or whose work schedule includes night hours on a significant number of working days is considered a night worker. You must assess whether night work is necessary and ensure that staffing levels and shift patterns minimise fatigue.

• Premium Pay: While Estonian law does not mandate a specific statutory night work premium, it requires that night work be compensated at a higher rate than comparable daytime work, and in practice employers commonly pay at least 1.25x to 1.5x of the regular hourly wage for hours between 22:00 and 06:00. If a collective agreement or contract sets a higher premium, such as 1.5x for night work plus 1.5x for overtime, you must apply the more favourable combined rate.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers should be offered periodic health assessments to identify fatigue, sleep disorders, or other health issues linked to night work. You should adjust schedules or reassign employees if medical advice indicates that continued night work would endanger their health.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors are generally prohibited from night work, particularly between 22:00 and 06:00, except for limited cultural or sporting activities under strict conditions. Pregnant workers and those who have recently given birth must not be required to perform night work if a medical certificate indicates that such work is unsuitable.

Weekend work, especially on Sundays, is permitted but must respect the requirement for at least 48 consecutive hours of weekly rest or an equivalent substitute rest period. Many employers provide a weekend premium of 1.25x to 1.5x of the regular hourly wage for Saturday and Sunday work, and work on public holidays must be paid at a minimum of 2.0x. You should clearly define in contracts how weekend and holiday premiums interact with overtime and night work rates so that employees understand their total compensation.