Working Hours and Overtime in Ghana

In Ghana, 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 you plan staffing and scheduling, you should align contracts, rosters, and payroll systems with Ghana’s rules on standard hours, overtime, and rest, and keep accurate records of time worked and payments made. Looking ahead to 2026, expect closer scrutiny of working-time compliance, stronger enforcement of record-keeping and health and safety obligations, and growing employee expectations around predictable schedules and fair compensation for additional hours.

• 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 Ghana?

An employee whose age is 18 or younger has a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 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 5 continuous hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Ghana

Under Ghanaian labour law, normal working time for most employees is generally capped at 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, excluding unpaid meal breaks. Employers should structure work schedules so that the daily and weekly limits are respected on a regular basis, and any work beyond these limits is treated and compensated as overtime. Where work is organized in shifts, you must ensure that the average weekly hours over the reference period do not exceed the statutory norm.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Health Care And Hospital Services
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance Services
• Hospitality, Hotels, And Restaurants
• Transport, Logistics, And Port Operations
• Agriculture, Plantations, And Seasonal Work
• Mining, Oil, And Gas Operations

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial and key decision-making employees in Ghana often have broader flexibility in their working hours and may not be strictly limited by the standard daily and weekly caps, provided their overall conditions remain reasonable and consistent with health and safety obligations. However, you should not assume that managers are automatically exempt from all working time protections. Clearly define expectations in employment contracts, avoid excessive hours that could endanger health or safety, and ensure that any agreed flat salary or allowance reasonably reflects the additional time and responsibility required.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Ghana

For most sectors, full-time employment in Ghana is based on a standard of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, typically spread over five working days. Employers should use this benchmark when designing work schedules, calculating pro-rated entitlements for part-time staff, and determining when overtime begins. Any regular requirement for employees to work beyond these statutory full-time hours should be formalized in writing, justified by operational needs, and accompanied by appropriate overtime pay or time off in lieu in line with Ghanaian labour law and any applicable collective agreements.

Overtime Regulations In Ghana

What Counts As Overtime In Ghana?

In Ghana, overtime generally refers to any authorized working time that exceeds the normal daily or weekly hours set out in the employment contract, collective agreement, or the statutory standard of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. Overtime should be expressly requested or approved by the employer, not simply worked at the employee’s own initiative. You should define in writing what constitutes normal hours for each role, how overtime is requested and approved, and how it will be compensated, to avoid disputes and ensure transparency.

Maximum Overtime In Ghana

Ghanaian labour practice expects employers to limit overtime to exceptional or seasonal needs and to avoid systematic reliance on long hours. While specific caps may be set by sectoral agreements or individual contracts, a prudent approach is to ensure that total working time, including overtime, does not regularly exceed 48 hours per week and that employees receive adequate daily and weekly rest. You should monitor overtime trends, keep accurate records of hours worked, and adjust staffing levels if overtime becomes routine rather than occasional.

Overtime Payout Rates In Ghana

Overtime in Ghana is typically paid at a premium rate above the employee’s normal hourly wage. Common practice is to apply at least 150 percent of the basic hourly rate for overtime worked on normal working days, with higher rates often used for night work, weekends, and public holidays, subject to collective agreements or company policy. Employers should clearly state overtime rates in employment contracts or internal policies, calculate the basic hourly rate correctly from the employee’s salary, and ensure that overtime payments are itemized on payslips so employees can verify how their compensation was determined.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Ghana

In Ghana, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods and breaks are designed to protect health and safety within these limits. You must schedule work so that employees who work more than 5 continuous hours receive at least a 30-minute meal break, and you should organize shifts and rosters to provide sufficient daily and weekly rest in line with statutory requirements and good practice.

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