Working Hours and Overtime in Libya

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Libya?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week. An employee whose age is 16 or older is allowed to work 48 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 08:00 to 16:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Libya

Under Libyan labour practice, the standard limit for adult employees is 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, excluding unpaid meal breaks. You should structure schedules so that daily hours do not regularly exceed this threshold except under clearly documented overtime arrangements. Where shorter hours are agreed in contracts or collective agreements, those lower limits will govern.

Working time is typically spread over 6 days, with Friday treated as the main weekly rest day in most sectors. You must keep accurate records of start and finish times, breaks, and overtime to demonstrate compliance in the event of inspection or dispute. Any averaging of hours over a reference period should be clearly supported by written agreements with employees or their representatives.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In these environments, operational needs may justify longer daily shifts, split shifts, or rotating rosters, provided that the weekly average does not exceed 48 hours and overtime rules are respected. You should document any such arrangements in internal policies and employment contracts.

• 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 monitor fatigue risks and ensure that daily and weekly rest periods are not eroded by irregular scheduling.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff in Libya are often treated as having broader flexibility in their working hours, especially where they have authority over hiring, budgeting, or strategic decisions. While they may not receive overtime pay in practice, you should still define an expected weekly schedule, typically around 48 hours, and avoid excessive workloads that could be considered abusive.

Any exemption from overtime compensation should be clearly stated in the employment contract, along with the salary level that is intended to cover additional hours. You remain responsible for ensuring that health and safety rules, including reasonable rest periods, are respected even for exempt employees.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Libya

In Libya, full-time employment is generally based on a schedule of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult workers. Many employers in urban and professional sectors voluntarily apply a 40–44 hour week to remain competitive and support work–life balance. You should specify the full-time weekly hours in each contract to avoid ambiguity.

Part-time and flexible arrangements are permitted as long as they are documented and do not exceed the standard full-time thresholds when combined across multiple roles. Where employees work reduced hours, benefits and entitlements are typically prorated according to the agreed fraction of the full-time schedule.

Overtime Regulations In Libya

Overtime in Libya arises when employees work beyond the standard 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week, and you are responsible for authorising and recording these hours in advance. You should maintain detailed timesheets or electronic records that show daily hours, overtime, and the applicable premium rates to support payroll calculations. Failure to manage overtime transparently can lead to back-pay claims, administrative penalties, and reputational risk.

What Counts As Overtime In Libya?

In Libyan practice, hours worked beyond 8 hours in a day or 48 hours in a week for adult employees are treated as overtime. Work performed on the weekly rest day, typically Friday, or on an official public holiday is also considered overtime even if the weekly total remains at or below 48 hours. You should obtain prior written consent from employees for planned overtime and clearly distinguish between regular hours and overtime on payslips.

On-call time that requires the employee to remain at the workplace or be ready to work at short notice is generally treated as working time and may trigger overtime once the daily or weekly thresholds are exceeded. You should define in policies when standby time is paid at the normal rate and when it attracts overtime premiums, ensuring that the rules are applied consistently.

Maximum Overtime In Libya

Libyan labour practice typically limits overtime to a maximum of 2 hours per day, so that total daily working time does not exceed 10 hours. On a weekly basis, overtime should not normally exceed 12 hours, resulting in an overall cap of 60 hours of work per week including overtime. You should avoid scheduling employees beyond these limits except in genuine emergencies.

Over a longer reference period, many employers apply an informal cap of 120 overtime hours per year per employee to control fatigue and cost, although this figure is based on practice rather than an explicit statutory ceiling. Where business needs require higher overtime, you should seek written agreement from the employee and, where applicable, consult with worker representatives or the labour authorities.

Overtime Payout Rates In Libya

In Libya, overtime hours worked on a normal working day are commonly paid at a premium of at least 125% of the employee’s regular hourly wage, equivalent to a 1.25x multiplier. When overtime is performed at night or beyond 2 additional hours in a day, many employers apply a higher rate of 150% (1.5x) to reflect the increased burden on the employee. You should state the exact multipliers in employment contracts or internal policies.

Work performed on the weekly rest day or on an official public holiday is typically compensated at a minimum of 200% of the regular hourly wage, or 2.0x, in Libyan practice. If you provide a substitute rest day instead of the normal weekly rest, you should still pay at least 150% (1.5x) for the hours worked on the original rest day to remain competitive and reduce legal risk.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Libya

In Libya, employees generally work around 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to ensure that this working time does not compromise health and safety. During the working day, employees are entitled to a meal break once they have worked more than 6 consecutive hours, and they must also receive sufficient daily and weekly rest between shifts. You should integrate these breaks into your scheduling so that operational needs are met without infringing on employees’ statutory and contractual rights.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 hours in a day should receive at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break, which is typically unpaid in Libya. You should schedule this break so it falls roughly in the middle of the shift and is clearly recorded in work schedules.
• Daily Rest: Workers in Libya should generally receive a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next. This daily rest is critical when you schedule overtime or split shifts so that total working time and commuting do not erode recovery time.
• Weekly Rest: Employees are normally entitled to at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, with Friday commonly observed as the main rest day in Libya. If business needs require work on Friday, you should provide a substitute rest day of at least 24 hours in the same week.
• Minors: Young workers under 18 in Libya should have shorter daily working hours and longer rest periods than adults, including more frequent breaks during the day. You should avoid scheduling minors for night work or extended overtime to comply with child protection principles.
• Employer Duty: As an employer in Libya, you are responsible for organising work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, not just written into policies. You should monitor compliance through rosters and time records and intervene if managers routinely schedule staff without adequate rest.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Libya

Night and weekend work are legal in Libya but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay close attention to working-time limits, rest periods, and any applicable premium rates when scheduling staff outside normal daytime hours. Clear policies and consent procedures help reduce disputes and demonstrate that you are managing these atypical hours responsibly.

Night work in Libya is generally understood as work performed between 21:00 and 06:00, although specific definitions may vary by sector or collective agreement. This time window applies across most roles, with particular caution required for vulnerable groups such as young workers and pregnant employees. You should explicitly define the night period in contracts or internal regulations so that employees understand when night premiums and protections apply.

• Premium Pay: In Libyan practice, night work is commonly compensated at a premium of at least 125% of the regular hourly wage, or 1.25x, for hours worked between 21:00 and 06:00. Some employers apply a higher rate of 150% (1.5x) for night overtime that exceeds the normal daily limit to reflect the additional burden on workers.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers in Libya should be offered periodic health assessments to monitor fatigue, sleep disorders, and other risks associated with night shifts. You should also consider rotating night duties and providing access to occupational health support where feasible.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 in Libya should not be employed in night work, particularly in hazardous or industrial settings. Pregnant workers should be exempted from night shifts upon medical recommendation and offered alternative daytime duties where possible.

Weekend work in Libya often involves Friday as the primary weekly rest day, and requiring employees to work on Friday should be treated as an exception rather than the norm. When employees do work on their weekly rest day, you should provide a substitute rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours and pay a premium of at least 150% (1.5x) of the regular hourly wage, rising to 200% (2.0x) if the work coincides with an official public holiday.