Working Hours and Overtime in Laos

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Laos?

An employee whose age is 18 or younger has a maximum of 7 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 5 consecutive hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Laos

Under Lao labor law, standard working hours for adult employees are generally limited to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week. You should organize schedules so that employees do not exceed these limits in normal operations, except where lawful overtime is used. Any arrangement that regularly pushes staff beyond 8 hours per day should be clearly justified and supported by overtime rules.

Collective or enterprise agreements may structure working time differently across days, but the average must still respect the 48-hour weekly ceiling. You are responsible for keeping accurate time records that show daily and weekly hours worked. These records are essential if labor inspectors review your compliance or if disputes arise with employees.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In practice, these sectors often rely on shift systems that compress or extend daily hours while keeping weekly averages within 48 hours. You should document shift patterns and ensure that employees receive the required rest breaks and weekly rest days.

• 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. When you introduce atypical schedules, obtain written employee consent and, where applicable, consult worker representatives. This reduces legal risk and helps maintain predictable staffing levels.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain supervisory or technical staff may enjoy more flexibility in their working hours, but they are not completely outside the scope of Lao labor protections. Their contracts should clearly state expected working hours, availability requirements, and how any additional hours are compensated. Avoid assuming that a managerial title alone removes all limits on working time.

Where you classify employees as exempt from standard overtime rules, base this on their actual duties and level of autonomy. Misclassification can lead to back-pay claims for overtime and administrative penalties. Maintain written job descriptions and keep them aligned with how the role is performed in practice.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Laos

In Laos, full-time work is generally understood as 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult employees. You may adopt different daily distributions, such as 9 hours on some days and fewer on others, provided the weekly total does not exceed 48 hours without overtime. Any regular pattern that exceeds these limits should be treated as overtime and paid accordingly.

Part-time and flexible arrangements are permitted if they are clearly defined in the employment contract. Specify the number of hours, scheduling method, and how additional hours will be authorized and paid. This clarity helps you manage labor costs while staying compliant with working-time rules.

Overtime Regulations In Laos

Overtime in Laos must be expressly requested or approved by the employer and should only be used when necessary for business operations. You are required to keep detailed records of overtime hours, including dates, start and end times, and the reason for the overtime. Failure to document and pay overtime correctly can result in back-pay liabilities, fines, and reputational damage.

What Counts As Overtime In Laos?

In Laos, overtime generally means any working time that exceeds 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week for adult employees. Work performed beyond the employee’s normal daily schedule, even if the weekly total remains under 48 hours, should be treated as overtime if it is outside the agreed pattern. You should define normal working hours clearly in contracts and internal regulations.

Work performed on a weekly rest day or public holiday is also treated as overtime and attracts higher pay rates. If you require employees to work on these days, you must both pay the applicable premium and provide substitute rest where required. Ensure that managers do not informally ask staff to work extra hours without recording them as overtime.

Maximum Overtime In Laos

Lao labor rules generally limit overtime to 3 hours per day and 45 hours per month for each employee. This means that on any given day, total working time should not exceed 11 hours, including overtime. You should design rosters so that these limits are respected even during peak periods.

In exceptional circumstances, such as urgent repairs or force majeure, authorities may allow temporary deviations, but the 3-hour daily and 45-hour monthly caps remain the standard benchmark. Obtain written consent from employees before assigning overtime and keep a running monthly total for each worker. If you regularly approach the 45-hour monthly limit, consider hiring additional staff or restructuring shifts.

Overtime Payout Rates In Laos

For overtime worked on a normal working day in Laos, the statutory minimum overtime pay is 150% of the employee’s normal hourly wage, or 1.5x. If overtime is performed at night on a normal working day, the combined premium is typically 200% of the normal hourly wage, or 2.0x. You should calculate these rates based on the employee’s basic wage plus any fixed regular allowances that form part of normal pay.

When employees work overtime on a weekly rest day or public holiday, the minimum premium is generally 200% of the normal hourly wage, or 2.0x, and can rise to 250% (2.5x) where both holiday and night work coincide. Clearly state these numerical rates in contracts, policies, and payslips so employees understand how their overtime is calculated. Consistent application of the 150%, 200%, and 250% multipliers will help you demonstrate compliance during inspections or audits.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Laos

In Laos, adult employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect health within these limits. During a standard workday, employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours must receive at least a 60-minute meal break. You should integrate these breaks and longer daily and weekly rest periods into your scheduling practices so that total working time and rest remain balanced.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours must receive a meal break of at least 60 minutes, which is usually unpaid unless your policy states otherwise.
• Daily Rest: Workers are generally entitled to a continuous daily rest period of at least 11 hours between the end of one workday and the start of the next in Laos.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, commonly scheduled on Sunday or another fixed day depending on your operations.
• Minors: Employees under 18 years old are subject to shorter daily and weekly limits and should receive more frequent or longer breaks to protect their health and development.
• Employer Duty: You are responsible for planning shifts so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken and for recording them where required by Lao labor inspectors.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Laos

Night and weekend work are legal in Laos but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay the correct numerical premiums where required and ensure that working-time limits and rest periods are still respected. Written policies and clear communication with staff are essential when you operate outside standard daytime hours.

Night work in Laos is generally understood as work performed between 22:00 and 06:00, although specific definitions can appear in regulations or collective agreements. This time window applies across most roles, including manufacturing, hospitality, and security, unless a sector-specific rule states otherwise. You should identify which positions are regularly scheduled during this period and treat them as night workers for compliance purposes.

• Premium Pay: Where night work is performed on a normal working day in Laos, a typical minimum premium is 15%–30% above the normal hourly wage, and many employers adopt at least 125% (1.25x) to align with regional practice.
• Health Monitoring: For employees who regularly work between 22:00 and 06:00, you should offer periodic health assessments and adjust schedules if medical issues are linked to night work.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors and pregnant workers should generally not be assigned to night shifts, and if exceptional night work is considered, it must be strictly justified and risk-assessed.

Weekend work, including work on the usual weekly rest day, is permitted in Laos if business needs require it, but you must provide at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in the week. When employees work on their weekly rest day, you should pay at least 200% (2.0x) of the normal hourly wage or grant a substitute rest day with equivalent pay. Clearly documenting weekend schedules and premiums will help you avoid disputes and demonstrate compliance.