Working Hours and Overtime in Jordan

In Jordan, 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 workforce schedules through 2026, you should expect closer scrutiny of working time records, overtime practices, and rest-period arrangements, particularly in sectors with long or irregular hours. Implement clear internal policies, maintain accurate timekeeping systems, and regularly review your practices against updated guidance from the Ministry of Labour to ensure that standard hours, overtime, and rest entitlements are applied consistently and transparently.

• 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 Jordan?

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 9:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Jordan

Under Jordanian labour law, the general limit for adult employees is 8 working hours per day and 48 working hours per week, spread over a maximum of 6 working days. You should structure schedules so that the daily and weekly limits are respected on average, and ensure that any work beyond these limits is treated and compensated as overtime. Working time calculations must exclude unpaid meal breaks and should only include actual working time at the employee’s disposal.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Hotels, Tourism, And Hospitality Services
• Transport, Warehousing, And Logistics Operations
• Healthcare, Clinics, And Emergency Services
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance Activities
• Seasonal Agriculture And Harvesting Work
• Continuous Process Manufacturing And Utilities

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Certain categories of employees in Jordan – such as senior managers, supervisors with genuine decision-making authority, and employees in positions of trust – may be partially or fully exempt from standard working hour and overtime rules. However, you should not assume exemption based solely on job title. To classify an employee as exempt, you should confirm that they have real autonomy over their schedule, exercise managerial or supervisory powers, and are remunerated in a way that reflects these responsibilities. Even where exemptions apply, you remain responsible for preventing excessive working hours that could endanger health and safety, and for documenting working time policies clearly in employment contracts and internal regulations.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Jordan

Full-time employment in Jordan is generally based on 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult employees. Many employers, particularly in professional and office-based roles, adopt a 40–45 hour workweek as a matter of policy, but this is more generous than the statutory maximum. When designing full-time roles, you should specify the normal daily and weekly hours, the distribution of hours across the week, and how any additional hours will be treated. Ensure that your internal policies align with the statutory framework, collective agreements where applicable, and any sector-specific rules issued by the Ministry of Labour.

Overtime Regulations In Jordan

What Counts As Overtime In Jordan?

In Jordan, overtime is generally any working time performed by an employee beyond the statutory limit of 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week, whichever threshold is triggered first. Overtime can also arise when an employee is required to work on their weekly rest day or on an official public holiday. You should obtain the employee’s consent to perform overtime except in narrowly defined emergency situations, and you must record all additional hours accurately. Time spent on mandatory training, required meetings, or on-call duty where the employee must remain at the workplace will typically count as working time for overtime purposes.

Maximum Overtime In Jordan

Jordanian labour rules restrict the amount of overtime that can be imposed on employees to protect their health and safety. As a general guide, daily working time – including overtime – should not be extended to the point where it becomes excessive or unsafe, and weekly overtime should remain exceptional rather than routine. You should avoid scheduling more than 30 hours of overtime per month for any individual employee and should ensure that total working time, including overtime, does not regularly exceed 60 hours per week. In all cases, employees must still receive their statutory daily and weekly rest periods, even when overtime is performed.

Overtime Payout Rates In Jordan

Overtime work in Jordan must be compensated at enhanced rates above the employee’s normal hourly wage. For overtime performed on a regular working day, employees are typically entitled to at least 125 percent of their basic hourly wage for each overtime hour. When employees work on their weekly rest day or on an official public holiday, the premium is higher – commonly at least 150 percent of the basic hourly wage, or a combination of premium pay and compensatory time off, depending on the circumstances and any applicable collective agreement. You should clearly describe overtime rates, calculation methods, and payment schedules in employment contracts and payroll policies, and ensure that overtime pay is itemised transparently on payslips.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Jordan

In Jordan, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and you must organise rest periods and breaks so that these hours do not compromise employee health and safety. This includes providing a minimum uninterrupted meal break during the working day, ensuring sufficient daily rest between shifts, and guaranteeing at least one full weekly rest day, with additional protections for minors and night workers.

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