Working Hours and Overtime in French Guiana

What Are The Standard Working Hours In French Guiana?

An employee whose age is 16 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 35 hours per week as the statutory full-time threshold, with a hard legal ceiling of 48 hours in any given week including overtime. A minimum meal interval of 20 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 French Guiana

French Guiana applies the French Labour Code, which sets the normal legal working time at 35 hours per week for full-time employees. Daily working time is generally limited to 10 hours, although collective agreements or labour inspector authorisations can allow limited extensions in specific circumstances. Employers must ensure that any scheduling beyond these limits is clearly justified and documented.

Weekly working time, including overtime, may not exceed 48 hours in any single week and 44 hours on average over a 12-week reference period. In exceptional cases and with prior administrative authorisation, the weekly maximum can be raised to 60 hours for a short period, but this must remain strictly exceptional. Employers are required to maintain accurate time records and to consult employee representatives where applicable when modifying working-time arrangements.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules that adapt the 35-hour framework to operational needs. These rules typically rely on collective agreements that organise work in cycles, allow longer daily shifts, or introduce annualised working time while still respecting average weekly limits. Employers must verify the applicable branch agreement before designing rosters.

In healthcare and certain residential care settings, shifts can extend up to 12 hours provided that compensatory rest and monitoring of workload are ensured. In transportation, EU-aligned rules on driving time and rest periods apply to road, air, and maritime transport, which may override general daily limits but still protect overall rest. Hospitality, security, and manufacturing often rely on rotating shifts, but employers must ensure that average weekly hours remain within 44 hours over 12 weeks and that night and Sunday work are properly compensated.

• 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 ensure that any derogations are grounded in a valid collective agreement or administrative authorisation. Written schedules and clear communication to staff are essential to demonstrate compliance.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

French law recognises certain managerial employees as "cadres dirigeants" whose working time is not subject to the standard hourly limits, provided they have broad autonomy, high responsibility, and remuneration at the top of the company’s pay scales. Other white-collar staff may be placed on a "forfait jours" arrangement, where working time is counted in days per year rather than hours, typically up to 218 working days annually. These schemes are available in French Guiana under the same conditions as in mainland France.

To rely on these exemptions, employers must ensure that the employee’s status is correctly classified and that a valid collective agreement authorises the use of forfait days. The individual employment contract must explicitly state the forfait arrangement and the annual number of days, and employers must monitor workload and right to rest. Misclassification can lead to back payment of overtime and penalties.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In French Guiana

Statutory full-time work in French Guiana is set at 35 hours per week, usually spread over five days. Many employers still organise work on the basis of 35 to 39 hours, with hours above 35 treated as overtime or as part of a company-level arrangement granting compensatory rest. Any schedule that regularly exceeds 35 hours must be supported by a collective agreement or clear contractual terms.

Part-time work is defined as any schedule below 35 hours per week, and part-time contracts must specify weekly or monthly hours and distribution. Flexible or annualised working-time schemes can average hours over longer reference periods, but they must still respect the absolute weekly ceiling of 48 hours and the 44-hour average over 12 weeks. Employers should regularly review rosters to ensure that actual hours match contractual and legal parameters.

Overtime Regulations In French Guiana

Overtime in French Guiana is governed by the French Labour Code, which requires employers to pay statutory premiums and respect strict caps. You must keep reliable records of all hours worked beyond the contractual schedule, including hours above 35 per week for full-time staff. Failure to track and compensate overtime correctly can lead to back pay claims, damages, and administrative fines.

What Counts As Overtime In French Guiana?

For full-time employees, overtime generally begins once weekly hours exceed 35 hours, regardless of whether the contract mentions a higher schedule. Hours worked between 35 and the contractual limit, such as 39 hours, are still overtime and must receive at least the statutory premium unless a valid collective agreement provides equivalent compensatory rest. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is also treated as overtime and attracts both premium pay and compensatory rest.

For employees on annualised or cycle-based schedules, overtime is assessed against the reference period defined in the collective agreement, but statutory caps and premiums still apply once thresholds are crossed. Employers must distinguish between occasional extra hours and structural overtime that indicates an under-estimated contractual schedule. In all cases, overtime should be ordered or at least explicitly authorised by the employer, and internal policies should clarify approval procedures.

Maximum Overtime In French Guiana

In French Guiana, the standard legal limit is 220 overtime hours per employee per calendar year, unless a collective agreement sets a different annual quota. Weekly working time, including overtime, may not exceed 48 hours in any given week, and the average weekly time must not exceed 44 hours over any 12-week reference period. These limits apply in addition to the normal 35-hour threshold for full-time work.

In exceptional circumstances and with prior authorisation from the labour inspectorate, the weekly maximum can be temporarily increased up to 60 hours, but this remains rare and must be justified by serious operational reasons. Overtime beyond the annual quota of 220 hours is possible only if a collective agreement or administrative decision allows it and typically requires additional compensatory rest. Employers should monitor cumulative overtime monthly to avoid breaching the annual and weekly caps.

Overtime Payout Rates In French Guiana

Overtime pay rates in French Guiana follow French national rules. The first 8 overtime hours in a week, from the 36th to the 43rd hour, must be paid at a minimum premium of 25% (1.25x the normal hourly rate). Any overtime hour from the 44th hour onward must be paid at a minimum premium of 50% (1.5x the normal hourly rate), unless a collective agreement grants at least equivalent benefits through compensatory rest.

Work performed on Sundays or public holidays that qualifies as overtime is typically paid at 100% premium (2.0x the normal hourly rate) in many sectoral agreements, and at minimum must respect the 25% and 50% statutory thresholds where no higher rate is mandated. Some collective agreements in French Guiana provide higher premiums, such as 50% from the first overtime hour or 100% for work on May 1st, which is a mandatory paid holiday. Employers must check their applicable collective agreement and ensure payslips clearly show the number of overtime hours and the corresponding premium rates.

Rest Periods And Breaks In French Guiana

In French Guiana, employees typically work up to 10 hours per day and 35 hours per week under the standard legal framework, with a possible weekly maximum of 48 hours including overtime. Rest periods and breaks are designed to protect health and safety by interrupting long workdays and ensuring sufficient time off between shifts. As an employer, you must integrate these breaks into schedules so that daily and weekly working-time limits remain compliant.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours must receive a minimum uninterrupted break of 20 minutes, and many collective agreements in French Guiana extend this to 30 minutes or more. This break should be scheduled so that employees do not work excessively long continuous stretches.
• Daily Rest: Employees are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of rest between two working days, which means you cannot schedule back-to-back shifts that cut into this minimum. Night workers and certain sectors may benefit from additional rest under specific agreements.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, usually on Sunday, plus the 11 hours of daily rest, for a total of 35 consecutive hours. If business needs require Sunday work, you must grant an equivalent compensatory rest day during the week.
• Minors: Workers under 18 benefit from enhanced protections, including a minimum daily rest of 12 consecutive hours and a weekly rest of at least 48 consecutive hours. They also have stricter limits on night work and maximum daily hours.
• Employer Duty: Employers in French Guiana must organise work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, not just written into contracts. You should keep schedules and time records that demonstrate compliance and adjust staffing if recurring overtime threatens rest entitlements.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In French Guiana

Night and weekend work are legal in French Guiana but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must justify the use of night work by the nature of the activity or a clear organisational need and ensure that health and safety risks are assessed. Collective agreements often add further safeguards and premiums on top of statutory rules.

Night work in French Guiana is generally defined, in line with the French Labour Code, as work performed between 21:00 and 06:00, with some agreements using a 22:00 to 05:00 window. An employee is considered a night worker if they perform at least 3 hours of work during this period on at least twice a week, or a set number of night hours over a reference period defined by agreement. This status triggers specific protections, including limits on night hours and health monitoring.

• Premium Pay: There is no single nationwide statutory night work premium in French Guiana, but most sectoral agreements grant additional pay of at least 10% to 30% of the base hourly wage for hours worked between 21:00 and 06:00, with some sectors going up to 40% (1.4x). Employers must apply the exact percentage specified in their applicable collective agreement and ensure it is clearly itemised on payslips.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers are entitled to periodic medical examinations, typically at least every 6 months to 1 year, to assess the impact of night work on their health. If the occupational physician finds that night work is incompatible with the employee’s health, you must seek to reassign them to a day role where possible.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors are generally prohibited from night work, with strict limits that usually forbid work between 22:00 and 06:00 depending on age and sector. Pregnant workers benefit from reinforced protections, and the occupational physician may recommend removal from night work, in which case you must reassign them or maintain their remuneration if reassignment is not possible.

Weekend work, particularly on Sundays, is normally restricted because Sunday is the standard weekly rest day in French Guiana. Authorised Sunday work must comply with specific legal exemptions or collective agreements and requires that employees receive compensatory rest of at least 24 consecutive hours on another day, plus the usual 11 hours of daily rest. In many sectors, Sunday work attracts premium pay of 50% to 100% (1.5x to 2.0x the normal hourly rate), and you must apply the exact rate set by your collective agreement or local derogation scheme.