Working Hours and Overtime in Haiti

In Haiti, 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, clearer enforcement of overtime premiums, and greater emphasis on employee health and safety in scheduling practices. Proactively aligning your policies with statutory rules, collective agreements, and emerging best practices will reduce legal risk, support retention, and position your organization to adapt quickly to any new working-time standards introduced by regulators or social partners.

• 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 Haiti?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 48 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 16:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Haiti

Under Haitian labor law, the standard workweek for adult employees is generally capped at 48 hours, usually spread over six days at 8 hours per day. Employers should structure schedules so that employees do not exceed this daily and weekly limit in normal operations. Any work performed beyond these thresholds is typically treated as overtime and must be compensated at enhanced rates. You should also ensure that working time is recorded accurately – including start and end times, breaks, and any on-call or standby periods that qualify as working time – to demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection or dispute.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Process Industries (Such As Utilities And Manufacturing)
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Restaurants
• Healthcare And Emergency Services
• Agriculture And Seasonal Harvest Activities
• Security, Transport, And Port Operations

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain highly trusted employees in Haiti may have more flexible schedules and may not be subject to the same strict hourly tracking as rank-and-file staff. However, you should not assume that a managerial title alone removes all protections. Where managers regularly work beyond the standard 48-hour workweek, you should clearly define expectations in the employment contract, specify whether the salary is intended to cover a reasonable amount of additional time, and ensure that workloads remain consistent with health and safety obligations. For employees who are genuinely exempt from overtime, document the basis for exemption and periodically review their role to confirm that their actual duties still justify that status.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Haiti

Full-time employment in Haiti is typically based on the statutory standard of 48 hours per week for adult employees. Many employers choose to organize these hours as six 8-hour days, while others may adopt alternative patterns – such as five longer days – provided that daily and weekly limits, rest periods, and overtime rules are respected. When defining full-time status in your policies, align your internal definition with the legal standard, clarify how hours are distributed across the week, and explain how any additional hours will be treated for overtime and benefits purposes.

Overtime Regulations In Haiti

What Counts As Overtime In Haiti?

In Haiti, overtime generally refers to any working time performed beyond the standard 48-hour workweek for adult employees or beyond the normal daily schedule established in the employment contract or internal regulations. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is also typically treated as overtime or premium work. To manage risk, you should define in writing when overtime is considered authorized, how employees must request or record it, and that unauthorized overtime is prohibited – while still paying for any overtime actually worked in accordance with the law.

Maximum Overtime In Haiti

Haitian labor rules aim to prevent excessive working hours that could endanger employee health and safety. As a general guide, overtime should be exceptional, not routine, and total working time – standard hours plus overtime – should not regularly exceed what is considered reasonable for the sector. You should set internal caps on weekly and monthly overtime, require prior managerial approval, and monitor patterns to ensure that no employee consistently works beyond safe limits. Where collective agreements or sectoral rules exist, verify whether they impose stricter caps on overtime than the general legal framework.

Overtime Payout Rates In Haiti

Overtime in Haiti must be compensated at higher rates than normal working hours. Common practice is to apply a premium percentage to the employee’s regular hourly wage for hours worked beyond the standard workweek, with even higher rates for night work, work on weekly rest days, and work on public holidays. You should clearly state overtime rates in employment contracts and payroll policies, ensure that your payroll system correctly calculates premiums based on actual hours worked, and keep detailed records of overtime approvals and payments. Transparent communication of overtime rules helps avoid disputes and supports compliance during audits or inspections.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Haiti

In Haiti, employees commonly work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health and safety within these limits. You must build meal and rest breaks into the working day, ensure adequate daily rest between shifts, and provide weekly rest so that total working time – including any overtime – does not undermine employee well-being or lead to fatigue-related risks in the workplace.

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