Working Hours and Overtime in Guinea Conakry

In Guinea Conakry, 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 regulations continue to evolve toward 2026, you should expect closer scrutiny of working-time records, stronger enforcement of rest and overtime rules, and growing expectations from employees for transparent scheduling and fair compensation. Implementing clear internal policies, accurate timekeeping systems, and regular training for managers will help you anticipate regulatory changes, reduce legal risk, and support employee wellbeing.

• 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 Conakry?

An employee whose age is 16 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 6 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 16:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Guinea Conakry

Under Guinean labour practice, the standard working time for most employees is based on a 40-hour workweek, usually spread over five days. Daily working time is commonly set at around eight hours, excluding the unpaid meal break. You should structure schedules so that employees do not regularly exceed these limits, except under clearly defined overtime arrangements. Any work performed beyond the standard weekly limit should be treated as overtime and compensated accordingly.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Mining And Extractive Industries
• Agriculture And Seasonal Activities
• Transport, Ports, And Logistics
• Healthcare And Emergency Services
• Hotels, Restaurants, And Tourism
• Security And Guarding Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain categories of highly autonomous employees 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 reflects this flexibility. As an employer, you should clearly define in the employment contract whether a role is managerial or exempt, describe expected working patterns, and ensure that even exempt staff are not exposed to excessive hours that could endanger health and safety.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Guinea Conakry

Full-time employment in Guinea Conakry is generally understood as a schedule of around 40 hours per week. This benchmark is used to distinguish full-time from part-time status and to calculate thresholds for overtime, leave accrual, and certain social security contributions. When designing work schedules, you should ensure that full-time employees’ contractual hours align with this standard and that any systematic work beyond it is tracked and treated as overtime in line with local labour rules and collective agreements.

Overtime Regulations In Guinea Conakry

What Counts As Overtime In Guinea Conakry?

Overtime in Guinea Conakry is generally understood as any working time performed beyond the standard full-time schedule, typically 40 hours per week for most employees. Work performed outside the employee’s normal daily schedule, such as in the evening, at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays, may also qualify as overtime or attract premium pay, depending on the applicable collective agreement or company policy. To remain compliant, you should define normal working hours in each contract and treat any additional hours as overtime once the weekly threshold is exceeded.

Maximum Overtime In Guinea Conakry

While Guinean labour legislation aims to limit excessive working hours, employers may request overtime in response to workload peaks, seasonal activity, or unforeseen operational needs. In practice, overtime should remain exceptional and must not result in an overall workload that endangers the employee’s health or prevents them from taking required daily and weekly rest. You should establish internal rules that cap overtime per day, per week, and per year, obtain prior managerial authorization for any extra hours, and keep accurate records to demonstrate that cumulative working time remains within safe and reasonable limits.

Overtime Payout Rates In Guinea Conakry

Overtime hours in Guinea Conakry are typically compensated at a higher rate than normal working hours to reflect the additional burden placed on employees. Common practice is to apply percentage premiums on top of the employee’s regular hourly wage, with higher premiums for work performed at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays. Where a collective agreement or company policy sets specific overtime rates, those terms will usually govern. You should clearly communicate applicable overtime premiums in employment contracts or internal regulations, ensure that payroll systems correctly calculate and itemize overtime pay, and consider whether compensatory time off will be offered in addition to or instead of monetary payment, where legally permissible and agreed with the employee.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Guinea Conakry

Employees in Guinea Conakry typically work around eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, and within this framework employers must provide adequate rest periods and breaks to protect health and safety, including a minimum meal break during longer shifts, daily rest between working days, and at least one full day of weekly rest so that total working time and recovery periods remain balanced.

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