Working Hours and Overtime in Guinea Bissau

In Guinea Bissau, 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 labour enforcement and regional harmonization efforts continue to develop toward 2026, you should expect closer scrutiny of how working time is recorded, how overtime is authorized and paid, and whether employees receive their full daily and weekly rest. Implementing clear internal policies, reliable timekeeping systems, and regular training for managers will help you demonstrate compliance, avoid disputes, and adapt quickly if new regulations or collective agreements tighten limits or increase premium rates.

• 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 Guinea Bissau?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. An employee whose age is 17 or older is allowed to work 40 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 60 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 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Guinea Bissau

Under the general labour framework in Guinea Bissau, the statutory full-time schedule is based on 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, usually spread over 5 working days. You should structure work so that employees do not exceed these limits on a regular basis, except where the law or a collective agreement expressly allows temporary extensions. Daily working time should normally be continuous, with only a single main meal break, and any split shifts or irregular schedules should be clearly documented in the employment contract or internal regulations.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Process Industries – Such As Energy, Water, And Certain Manufacturing Operations
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Catering Services With Extended Opening Hours
• Agriculture, Forestry, And Seasonal Harvest Activities
• Transport, Ports, And Logistics Services Requiring Shift Work
• Health Care, Emergency, And Security Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and employees who exercise genuine leadership or decision-making authority may be subject to more flexible working-time arrangements. In practice, these employees often work beyond the standard daily or weekly limits without the same overtime entitlements as non-exempt staff, provided their higher level of responsibility and remuneration compensates for the additional hours. You should define managerial or exempt status narrowly, describe it clearly in the employment contract, and ensure that these employees still benefit from minimum daily and weekly rest, as well as health and safety protections.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Guinea Bissau

For most sectors, full-time employment in Guinea Bissau is based on 40 hours per week, typically 8 hours per day over 5 days. Part-time arrangements are those with a contracted schedule below this threshold, and they should be set out in writing, including how hours are distributed across the week. When designing work schedules, you should align with the 40-hour benchmark, respect daily and weekly rest periods, and use overtime only as an exceptional measure rather than a permanent staffing solution.

Overtime Regulations In Guinea Bissau

What Counts As Overtime In Guinea Bissau?

Overtime in Guinea Bissau generally refers to any working time performed beyond the statutory full-time schedule of 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week, or beyond the lower limits set in an applicable collective agreement or individual contract. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is also typically treated as overtime or as special work attracting premium pay and compensatory rest. To remain compliant, you should define normal working hours in writing, track all hours actually worked, and obtain prior authorization for overtime from the appropriate manager or, where required, from labour authorities.

Maximum Overtime In Guinea Bissau

Overtime is intended to cover exceptional or temporary increases in workload, not to replace proper staffing. As a best practice aligned with regional labour standards, you should limit overtime to no more than 2 hours per day and 10 hours per week, subject to an annual cap that is typically around 200 hours, unless a collective agreement sets stricter limits. Certain vulnerable groups – such as young workers, pregnant employees, and those in hazardous roles – should either be excluded from overtime or subject to tighter limits. Always document the reasons for overtime, the duration, and the employees involved, and keep these records available for inspection.

Overtime Payout Rates In Guinea Bissau

Overtime work in Guinea Bissau should be compensated at a premium rate above the employee’s normal hourly wage. While specific percentages may be refined by collective agreements, a common structure is to pay at least 125% of the regular rate for overtime hours worked on normal working days and at least 150% – or equivalent compensatory rest – for hours worked on weekly rest days or public holidays. You should calculate the overtime rate based on the employee’s base salary plus any regular fixed allowances, clearly itemize overtime payments on payslips, and ensure that no agreement with an employee waives their right to the minimum overtime premiums required by law or collective bargaining.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Guinea Bissau

In Guinea Bissau, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health within these limits. During the working day, employees who work more than 6 hours must receive a meal break, and between working days they are entitled to a continuous daily rest period and a longer weekly rest period. When you schedule shifts or authorize overtime, you must ensure that these breaks and rest periods are preserved so that total working time – including any additional hours – does not erode the minimum daily and weekly rest guaranteed by law or collective agreements.

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