Working Hours and Overtime in Lesotho

In Lesotho, 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.

Between now and 2026, regulators in Lesotho are expected to continue focusing on enforcement of existing labour standards rather than radically changing the framework. This means you should prioritise accurate timekeeping, clear contracts that define ordinary hours and overtime, and policies that ensure employees receive proper rest and premium pay when they work beyond normal limits. Regular internal audits, consultation with employee representatives, and proactive adjustments to rosters will help you stay ahead of inspections and potential disputes.

• 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 Lesotho?

An employee whose age is 18 or younger has a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. An employee whose age is 19 or older is allowed to work 45 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 60 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 5 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Lesotho

Under Lesotho’s labour legislation, the standard limit for adult employees is generally 45 ordinary hours per week, usually spread over no more than 5 or 6 days. A common pattern is 9 hours per day over 5 days, or 8 hours per day over 5 days plus a shorter day on Saturday. You should structure work schedules so that ordinary hours do not exceed these weekly limits, and any work beyond them is treated and compensated as overtime.

For younger workers – typically those under 18 – you should apply stricter limits, such as a 40-hour workweek and no more than 8 hours per day, and avoid scheduling them for night work or hazardous tasks. Always verify ages and keep clear records to demonstrate compliance with youth employment protections.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Agriculture And Seasonal Farm Work
• Mining And Quarrying Operations
• Security, Guarding, And Patrol Services
• Hospitality, Hotels, And Restaurants
• Transport, Logistics, And Road Haulage
• Healthcare And Emergency Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial and certain highly autonomous employees in Lesotho may be treated differently from ordinary staff for working-time purposes. Their roles often require irregular or extended hours, and their higher salaries are generally understood to compensate for this flexibility. However, you should not assume that all managers are automatically exempt from working-hour protections or overtime rules.

Clearly define managerial or exempt status in employment contracts, including expectations around availability, after-hours work, and any inclusive remuneration that covers additional hours. Even where overtime premiums are not legally required for a particular category, you remain responsible for safeguarding health and safety, preventing excessive fatigue, and ensuring that working patterns remain reasonable and sustainable.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Lesotho

In practice, full-time employment in Lesotho is typically based on 45 ordinary hours per week for adult employees. This is the benchmark you should use when designing full-time roles, calculating pro-rated hours for part-time staff, and determining when overtime begins. Contracts should specify the normal daily and weekly hours, the days of work, and the location or pattern of work (for example, fixed schedule, shift work, or rotating rosters).

For part-time and casual employees, you should express hours as a fraction of the standard full-time schedule and clarify how additional hours will be treated – whether as ordinary hours up to the full-time threshold or as overtime once statutory limits are exceeded. Transparent documentation of working hours, rosters, and attendance is essential to demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection or dispute.

Overtime Regulations In Lesotho

What Counts As Overtime In Lesotho?

Overtime in Lesotho generally refers to any time an employee works beyond the agreed and lawful ordinary hours – typically more than 45 hours per week for adult full-time employees, or beyond the normal daily limit set in the contract or collective agreement. Work performed on weekly rest days, public holidays, or outside the employee’s usual shift pattern will also usually qualify as overtime, unless the contract clearly designates those hours as part of the ordinary schedule.

To manage risk, you should define ordinary hours and overtime triggers in writing, obtain prior approval for overtime, and keep accurate time records for all employees, including those on variable or shift-based schedules. This documentation is critical if there is a dispute about whether particular hours should be treated and paid as overtime.

Maximum Overtime In Lesotho

Lesotho’s labour framework aims to prevent excessive overtime that could endanger employee health and safety. While specific caps can vary by sector or collective agreement, a common approach is to limit overtime to a set number of hours per day and per week – for example, no more than 3 hours of overtime on any working day and a weekly total that does not push overall hours to an unreasonable level.

You should implement internal policies that cap overtime, require managerial approval, and ensure that employees receive adequate daily and weekly rest. For young workers and pregnant or vulnerable employees, you should apply even stricter limits and avoid night or extended overtime work altogether. Where operational needs require regular overtime, consider hiring additional staff or reorganising shifts rather than relying on continuous long hours.

Overtime Payout Rates In Lesotho

Overtime in Lesotho is generally compensated at a premium rate above the employee’s normal hourly wage. A common standard is at least 1.5 times the ordinary rate for overtime worked on normal working days, and a higher rate – often double time – for overtime worked on weekly rest days or public holidays. These minimums may be supplemented by collective agreements or company policies that provide more generous terms.

To calculate overtime pay, determine the employee’s regular hourly rate from their basic salary, apply the appropriate premium multiplier, and ensure that all qualifying hours are included. You should also specify in contracts whether any allowances or bonuses are included in the base for overtime calculations, and ensure that payroll systems correctly distinguish between ordinary hours, overtime on normal days, and overtime on rest days or holidays.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Lesotho

In Lesotho, employees typically work up to 8–9 hours per day and 45 hours per week, and the law requires that these working hours be balanced with adequate rest periods and breaks to protect health and safety. As an employer, you must build daily meal breaks, short rest pauses where appropriate, and uninterrupted daily and weekly rest into your rosters so that employees are not working continuously for long stretches without recovery time.

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