Working Hours and Overtime in Eswatini

Overtime Regulations In Eswatini

As an employer in Eswatini, you must monitor and record all hours worked beyond the standard 45-hour workweek and any work performed on rest days or public holidays. Accurate timekeeping systems are essential to calculate overtime pay correctly and to demonstrate compliance if inspected by labour authorities. Non-compliance with overtime rules can lead to back-pay claims, penalties, and reputational damage.

What Counts As Overtime In Eswatini?

Overtime in Eswatini generally refers to any hours worked in excess of 9 hours per day or 45 hours per week for full-time employees. Work performed on an employee’s weekly rest day or on a public holiday is also treated as overtime, even if the weekly total remains at or below 45 hours. You should clearly define ordinary hours and overtime triggers in employment contracts and policies.

Where shift systems or compressed workweeks are used, overtime is typically triggered once the agreed ordinary hours for the shift pattern are exceeded. You should obtain prior approval for overtime, ideally in writing, and keep separate records for weekday overtime, weekend overtime, and public holiday work. This distinction is important because different premium rates apply to each category.

Maximum Overtime In Eswatini

In Eswatini, a commonly applied cap is that overtime should not exceed 3 hours on any given day and 10 hours in any given week, resulting in a maximum of 55 total hours in a week including ordinary time. Over a longer reference period, you should ensure that overtime does not become a permanent feature of normal working time and that average weekly hours remain close to the 45-hour standard. These limits are designed to protect employee health and safety and to reduce fatigue-related risks.

Where exceptional operational needs arise, some employers seek written consent from employees and, where applicable, union agreement to temporarily increase overtime beyond the usual 10 hours per week, for example up to 15 hours per week for a short period. In such cases, you should document the justification, duration, and affected employees and ensure that extended overtime is accompanied by additional rest or a return to normal hours as soon as practicable. If no specific sectoral regulation applies to your business, it is prudent to treat 10 hours per week as the default maximum overtime threshold.

Overtime Payout Rates In Eswatini

For most employees in Eswatini, weekday overtime worked beyond 45 hours per week is typically paid at a minimum of 1.5x the employee’s normal hourly rate, equivalent to a 150% rate. Work performed on a weekly rest day or Saturday is commonly compensated at 1.5x as well, unless a more generous rate is provided in a collective agreement or company policy. You should specify these rates clearly in contracts and payroll rules to avoid disputes.

Public holiday work is usually paid at 2.0x the normal hourly rate, equivalent to 200%, reflecting its status as premium time. If you grant a substitute day off in lieu of working on a public holiday, you should still ensure that the total value of pay and time off is at least equivalent to the 2.0x standard. Where no statutory premium is expressly set for a particular category of staff, you should not pay less than 1.5x for overtime hours to remain aligned with prevailing practice and employee expectations.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Eswatini

In Eswatini, employees typically work up to 9 hours per day and 45 hours per week, and rest periods are structured around these standard hours to protect health and productivity. During longer shifts, workers are entitled to meal and short rest breaks that do not count as working time if they are fully relieved of duties. You should design rosters so that daily and weekly rest entitlements are respected alongside operational needs.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours in Eswatini must receive at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break, which is generally unpaid if they are free from all duties. You should schedule this break so it occurs no later than 5 hours after the start of the shift.
• Daily Rest: Workers are generally entitled to a minimum of 12 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next in Eswatini. When shift changes reduce this interval, you should provide compensatory rest as soon as possible.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, typically on Sunday, in Eswatini. If business needs require Sunday work, you should grant a substitute rest day of at least 24 hours in the same week.
• Minors: Young workers under 18 in Eswatini should have shorter working days, longer rest intervals, and are generally prohibited from night work. You must ensure that their schedules include adequate breaks and do not interfere with schooling.
• Employer Duty: Employers in Eswatini are responsible for planning shifts and breaks so that statutory daily and weekly rest periods are always observed. You should keep rosters and attendance records that clearly show when breaks and rest days are taken.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Eswatini

Night and weekend work are legal in Eswatini but they come with additional responsibilities for employers to safeguard employee health and safety. You must pay particular attention to fatigue management, transport arrangements, and security when scheduling staff outside normal daytime hours. Clear policies and risk assessments are essential when night or weekend work is a regular feature of your operations.

Night work in Eswatini is commonly defined as work performed between 18:00 and 06:00, although specific definitions may vary by sectoral agreement or company policy. This time window typically applies across roles, including manufacturing, security, healthcare, and hospitality staff. You should state explicitly in contracts when an employee is engaged as a night worker and what conditions and benefits apply.

• Premium Pay: Eswatini law does not prescribe a specific statutory night work premium, so there is no mandatory percentage such as 25% or 1.25x. In practice, many employers voluntarily pay a night shift allowance in the range of 10%–25% of the basic hourly rate, or apply a 1.1x–1.25x multiplier, which you should document clearly in contracts or policies.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers in Eswatini should be offered periodic health assessments focusing on fatigue, sleep disorders, and stress. You should also provide training on managing shift work and consider adjustments or transfers if medical advice indicates that night work is unsuitable.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 in Eswatini are generally prohibited from night work, especially in hazardous environments such as heavy industry or security. Pregnant workers should be removed from night shifts upon medical recommendation and offered alternative day work or appropriate leave where possible.

Weekend work, particularly on Sunday, is treated as work on a customary weekly rest day in Eswatini and should be limited to genuine business needs. When employees work on Sunday, you should either provide a substitute 24-hour rest day in the same week or compensate them at a premium rate, commonly 1.5x for Sunday work and up to 2.0x if Sunday coincides with a public holiday.