Working Hours and Overtime in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, 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 needs through 2026, you should regularly review employment contracts, internal policies, and timekeeping practices to ensure they align with Kazakhstan’s Labour Code and any updates introduced by regulators or social partners. Clear documentation of schedules, overtime approvals, and rest periods will help you demonstrate compliance during inspections and reduce the risk of disputes with employees or authorities.

• 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 Kazakhstan?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 5 hours per day and 24 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 4 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 9:00 to 18:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Kazakhstan

Under Kazakhstan’s Labour Code, the general limit for normal working time is 40 hours per week for adult employees, usually spread over five working days. A standard workday is typically 8 hours, although employers may use a six-day workweek with shorter daily hours as long as the weekly total does not exceed 40 hours. Reduced limits apply to certain categories of workers – for example, employees aged 16–18, employees working in harmful or hazardous conditions, and employees with disabilities – and you must ensure that your internal schedules reflect these statutory caps.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Production Facilities And Process Industries
• Healthcare, Emergency, And On-Call Services
• Transport, Logistics, And Shift-Based Operations
• Mining, Oil And Gas, And Other Hazardous Workplaces
• Seasonal And Agricultural Work With Fluctuating Demand

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain categories of employees with irregular working hours may be engaged on a regime that does not strictly follow the standard daily schedule. However, they are not completely exempt from Kazakhstan’s working time protections. You should clearly define in employment contracts which roles are considered managerial or have irregular hours, describe how working time is recorded, and specify how additional work is compensated – whether through overtime pay, increased salary, or additional rest days – while still respecting maximum weekly limits and health and safety requirements.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Kazakhstan

Statutory full-time work in Kazakhstan is based on a 40-hour workweek for adult employees. This is the benchmark you should use when designing work schedules, calculating salaries, and determining when overtime begins. Part-time arrangements must be explicitly agreed in writing and should set out reduced daily or weekly hours compared with the 40-hour standard. Any time worked beyond the agreed schedule for part-time staff may qualify as additional work or overtime and must be managed and compensated in line with the Labour Code.

Overtime Regulations In Kazakhstan

What Counts As Overtime In Kazakhstan?

In Kazakhstan, overtime generally means any hours worked in excess of the employee’s established daily or weekly working time, which for full-time staff is normally 40 hours per week. Overtime must be requested or at least expressly approved by the employer, and you should avoid relying on informal or unrecorded extra hours. Work performed on weekends, public holidays, or at night may also attract higher pay rates or compensatory rest, even if the total weekly hours do not exceed 40, depending on how the schedule is structured and what is agreed in the employment contract or collective agreement.

Maximum Overtime In Kazakhstan

The Labour Code of Kazakhstan restricts how much overtime you can require from employees to protect their health and safety. Overtime should be used only in exceptional cases – for example, to prevent production downtime, address emergencies, or complete urgent tasks – and not as a regular staffing strategy. While specific numeric caps can vary by category of worker and collective agreement, you should ensure that overtime does not systematically push employees beyond safe weekly limits and that you provide adequate rest periods between shifts. Written consent is typically required for overtime, with additional protections for pregnant employees, minors, and employees with medical restrictions.

Overtime Payout Rates In Kazakhstan

Overtime work in Kazakhstan must be compensated at a premium rate compared with normal working hours. As a rule, overtime hours are paid at an increased multiple of the employee’s regular hourly wage, with higher rates often applying to work performed at night, on weekends, or on public holidays. Collective agreements or internal policies may provide even more generous multipliers, but they cannot set rates below the statutory minimum. Instead of or in addition to higher pay, you may agree with the employee to provide time off in lieu, provided that the value of the compensatory rest is at least equivalent to the overtime premium and is granted within a reasonable period.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Kazakhstan

Employees in Kazakhstan typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and the Labour Code links rest periods and breaks directly to these limits to protect employee health and productivity. During the working day, employees who work more than a few continuous hours must receive a meal break, and you must also ensure sufficient daily and weekly rest between shifts so that total working time – including any overtime – does not undermine recovery time or create excessive fatigue.

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