Working Hours and Overtime in Ivory Coast

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Ivory Coast?

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 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Ivory Coast

Under Ivorian labour law, the statutory limit for most private‑sector employees is 40 hours per week, usually spread over five or six days. Daily working time is commonly set between 8 and 9 hours, provided the weekly ceiling of 40 hours is respected. You should clearly define the daily schedule and weekly total in the employment contract or internal regulations.

Collective agreements in some sectors may organize working time over a reference period, allowing you to vary weekly hours as long as the average does not exceed 40 hours. Any hours worked beyond the contractual schedule within the legal limits should still be recorded accurately. You are required to maintain reliable time records to demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. These rules can allow for longer daily shifts, split shifts, or rotating rosters, provided that weekly averages and mandatory rest periods are respected. You should always check the applicable collective agreement or sectoral decree before designing shift patterns.

• 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 extended shifts are compensated according to statutory overtime and premium rules. Written shift schedules and advance notice help demonstrate that you are managing these exceptions responsibly.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff and certain autonomous employees may be classified as cadres and subject to more flexible working‑time arrangements. Their hours are often governed by a forfait agreement that sets a fixed number of hours or days per year instead of strict daily tracking. However, you must still ensure that workloads are reasonable and that health and safety obligations are met.

Exempt status does not remove all protections, and abuse of forfait arrangements can be challenged by labour authorities or courts. Clearly describe the nature of managerial responsibilities, the reference workload, and any lump‑sum compensation for overtime in the employment contract. Keep evidence that the employee genuinely enjoys autonomy over their schedule.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Ivory Coast

In Ivory Coast, full‑time work in the private sector is generally defined as 40 hours per week. This is typically organized as five 8‑hour days or six shorter days depending on the business. Any schedule that regularly exceeds 40 hours per week will normally trigger overtime rules.

Part‑time arrangements are permitted as long as the reduced hours and proportional pay are clearly documented. You may also use variable or shift‑based schedules, provided the average working time does not surpass the 40‑hour statutory norm over the agreed reference period. Ensure that full‑time and part‑time staff receive the correct entitlements on a pro‑rata basis where required.

Overtime Regulations In Ivory Coast

Overtime in Ivory Coast is tightly regulated, and you are responsible for authorizing it in advance and keeping accurate records of all extra hours worked. You must track daily and weekly hours to identify when employees exceed the 40‑hour statutory limit and ensure the correct premium rates are applied. Failure to document overtime properly can lead to back‑pay claims, fines, and reputational risk during labour inspections.

What Counts As Overtime In Ivory Coast?

Overtime generally means any hours worked beyond the statutory 40 hours per week or beyond the lower contractual weekly limit if you have agreed one. Extra hours performed at your request on a normal working day, in the evening, or early morning are treated as overtime once the weekly threshold is passed. Work performed on a weekly rest day or public holiday is also treated as overtime and attracts higher premium rates.

Where working time is averaged over a reference period under a collective agreement, overtime is assessed against the average weekly hours exceeding 40 over that period. You should specify in writing how overtime is requested, approved, and recorded to avoid disputes. Employees should never be penalized for refusing to work overtime that would breach legal caps or safety rules.

Maximum Overtime In Ivory Coast

In Ivory Coast, the general legal cap on overtime is 15 hours per week, meaning total working time should not exceed 55 hours in any given week. On an annual basis, overtime is typically limited to 200 hours per employee, unless a sectoral agreement or administrative authorization allows an increase. You must monitor cumulative overtime to ensure that individual employees do not exceed these thresholds.

In exceptional circumstances and with prior authorization from the labour inspectorate or under a specific collective agreement, the annual overtime limit may be raised up to 240 hours. Even with such authorization, you must still respect daily and weekly health and safety constraints and provide adequate rest. Exceeding overtime caps without proper approval exposes you to sanctions and potential invalidation of the excess hours.

Overtime Payout Rates In Ivory Coast

Overtime in Ivory Coast must be paid at statutory premium rates calculated on the employee’s normal hourly wage. For the first 8 overtime hours in a week, the minimum premium is 115% of the base hourly rate, equivalent to 1.15x pay. Beyond 8 overtime hours in the same week, the premium increases to at least 150% of the base rate, or 1.5x pay.

When employees work overtime at night between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., the combined premium is typically at least 175% of the base rate, or 1.75x, reflecting both overtime and night‑work enhancements. Work performed on Sundays or public holidays is usually compensated at a minimum of 200% of the base rate, or 2.0x, unless a more favourable collective agreement applies. You should clearly state these numerical rates in contracts or policies and ensure payroll systems apply them correctly.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Ivory Coast

Employees in Ivory Coast typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health within this framework. During the working day, employees who work more than 6 hours must receive a meal break, and they are also entitled to daily and weekly rest away from work. You must organize schedules so that these breaks and rest periods are respected while still meeting operational needs.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours must receive at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break, which is generally unpaid unless otherwise agreed.
• Daily Rest: Workers are entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next, and you should avoid scheduling split shifts that undermine this rest.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, typically on Sunday, which is added to the daily rest to provide a minimum of 35 consecutive hours off.
• Minors: Young workers under 18 are subject to stricter limits on daily hours and must receive longer rest periods, and they are generally prohibited from night work that would shorten their rest.
• Employer Duty: You are responsible for planning rosters so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken and for documenting any justified exceptions or changes.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Ivory Coast

Night and weekend work are legal in Ivory Coast but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must ensure that such work is justified by operational needs, does not endanger employee health, and complies with specific rules on rest and premium pay. Written policies and clear communication with staff are essential when introducing night or weekend shifts.

Night work in Ivory Coast is generally defined as work performed between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., although some collective agreements may adjust this window slightly. Employees who regularly work during this period are considered night workers and benefit from enhanced protections and pay. You should identify these roles explicitly in contracts or internal regulations.

• Premium Pay: Regular night work is typically compensated at a minimum of 130% of the base hourly wage, or 1.3x, and when combined with overtime the total premium can reach at least 175% or 1.75x of the base rate.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers should receive periodic medical examinations to assess fitness for night work, and you must adapt duties or reassign employees if health issues are identified.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 and pregnant workers are generally prohibited from night work, and you must adjust schedules or provide alternative duties to comply with these protections.

Weekend work, particularly on Sundays, is normally treated as work on the weekly rest day and should be exceptional or justified by the nature of the business. When employees work on Sunday or a statutory public holiday, they are usually entitled to both a substitute rest day and premium pay of at least 200% of the base rate, or 2.0x. You should document the granting of substitute rest and ensure payroll applies the correct Sunday and holiday premiums.