Working Hours and Overtime in Martinique

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Martinique?

An employee whose age is 17 or younger has a maximum of 8 hours per day and 35 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 35 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 20 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 Martinique

In Martinique, which applies the French Labour Code, the statutory working time for full-time employees is 35 hours per week, usually spread over 5 days. Daily working time is generally capped at 10 hours, unless a collective agreement or labour inspector authorization allows an increase up to 12 hours in specific situations. You must structure schedules so that employees do not routinely exceed these limits without a clear legal basis.

The weekly ceiling, including overtime, is normally 48 hours in any single week and 44 hours on average over a 12-week reference period. You must monitor hours worked, including travel time counted as working time, to ensure these thresholds are not exceeded. Accurate timekeeping systems and clear internal policies are essential to demonstrate compliance during inspections.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules that adapt the 35-hour framework. In healthcare and residential care, shifts can be organized in 12-hour blocks, provided that compensatory rest and maximum weekly limits are respected. In hospitality and tourism, working hours may be more heavily concentrated in evenings, weekends, and peak seasons, but the average weekly limits over the reference period must still be observed.

• 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 verify whether a sectoral collective agreement applicable in Martinique introduces specific caps, rest rules, or premium rates. Documenting these sector-specific arrangements in employment contracts and work rules helps reduce disputes.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Some managerial employees in Martinique may be classified under a forfait-jours arrangement, where working time is calculated in days per year rather than hours. In such cases, the standard 35-hour weekly limit does not apply in the same way, but you must still respect daily and weekly rest rules and prevent excessive workloads. The forfait-jours system must be based on a valid collective agreement and an individual written agreement with the employee.

For managers not under forfait-jours, the usual hourly limits and overtime rules continue to apply. You must clearly define managerial status, responsibilities, and working-time arrangements in the employment contract. Misclassifying employees as exempt can expose you to back pay claims for overtime and related penalties.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Martinique

Statutory full-time work in Martinique is set at 35 hours per week for most employees. This threshold is used to determine when overtime begins and to calculate certain benefits and thresholds. However, collective agreements may organize these 35 hours over different patterns, such as compressed weeks or variable schedules, as long as legal limits are respected.

Part-time work is any schedule below 35 hours per week and must be clearly specified in the contract, including distribution of hours. Changes to working-time patterns generally require employee consent and, where applicable, consultation with employee representatives. You should regularly review working-time arrangements to ensure they remain aligned with both legal requirements and operational needs.

Overtime Regulations In Martinique

Overtime in Martinique is tightly regulated under the French Labour Code, and employers must track all hours worked beyond the statutory 35-hour week. You are required to maintain reliable records of working time, including overtime, to justify payments and compliance with weekly and annual caps. Failure to do so can result in back pay awards, damages, and administrative fines.

What Counts As Overtime In Martinique?

In Martinique, overtime for most employees begins once they work more than 35 hours in a given week. Hours between the contractual schedule and 35 hours may be treated as complementary hours for part-time staff, but hours beyond 35 for full-time employees are overtime. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is also treated as overtime and attracts both overtime premiums and, where applicable, specific public holiday rules.

Overtime is generally calculated on a weekly basis, but collective agreements may define reference periods for averaging within the legal framework. You must obtain employee consent where required and respect any internal procedures or consultation obligations before imposing significant overtime. Systematic reliance on overtime to cover structural staffing needs can be challenged by labour authorities or employee representatives.

Maximum Overtime In Martinique

Under the rules applicable in Martinique, overtime is capped at 220 hours per employee per calendar year by default, unless a collective agreement sets a different annual quota. In any single week, total working time, including overtime, must not exceed 48 hours, and the average weekly working time must not exceed 44 hours over a 12-week reference period. Daily working time is normally limited to 10 hours, with possible extensions up to 12 hours only under specific authorized circumstances.

When the annual overtime quota of 220 hours is exceeded, you must grant additional compensatory rest and may need specific agreement or authorization. Collective agreements can adjust the annual quota and define how compensatory rest is granted, but they cannot remove health and safety protections. You should implement alerts in your timekeeping system to flag when employees approach weekly or annual overtime caps.

Overtime Payout Rates In Martinique

In Martinique, overtime pay is calculated as a percentage increase over the employee’s normal hourly wage. For the first 8 overtime hours in a week, typically from the 36th to the 43rd hour, the statutory minimum premium is 25%, meaning you must pay at least 1.25x the normal hourly rate. From the 44th overtime hour onward in the same week, the premium rises to at least 50%, or 1.5x the normal hourly rate.

Work performed on Sundays or public holidays that also qualifies as overtime is usually paid at a higher rate, commonly 100% premium or 2.0x the normal hourly rate, where a collective agreement or company policy so provides. If a sectoral or company-level collective agreement in Martinique sets more favourable rates, such as 30% for the first overtime tranche or 75% for certain hours, you must apply those higher rates. You should clearly document all applicable overtime premiums in contracts, payslips, and internal policies to avoid disputes.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Martinique

In Martinique, employees typically work 7 hours per day and 35 hours per week under the standard full-time schedule, and rest periods are designed around these limits. The law requires minimum breaks once daily working time exceeds 6 hours and guarantees daily and weekly rest to protect health and safety. You must integrate these breaks and rest periods into work schedules and timekeeping practices to remain compliant.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours must receive at least a 20-minute uninterrupted break, and many collective agreements in Martinique extend this to 30 minutes or more.
• Daily Rest: Employees are entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between two working days, and you must schedule shifts to avoid encroaching on this daily rest.
• Weekly Rest: Workers must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, usually on Sunday, which combines with the 11-hour daily rest to provide at least 35 consecutive hours off.
• Minors: Employees under 18 benefit from longer rest periods, including at least 12 consecutive hours of daily rest and stricter limits on night work in Martinique.
• Employer Duty: You are responsible for ensuring that breaks and rest periods are actually taken, recorded where necessary, and not informally waived by employees in Martinique.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Martinique

Night and weekend work are legal in Martinique but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must carefully manage scheduling, health and safety measures, and compensation to reflect the higher risks and social constraints associated with these hours. Collective agreements often add further safeguards and premiums that you are required to follow.

Night work in Martinique is generally defined, in line with the French Labour Code, as work performed between 21:00 and 06:00, with some agreements using a 22:00 to 05:00 window. An employee is considered a night worker when they perform at least 3 hours of night work on a regular basis, or a minimum of 270 night hours per year, depending on the applicable agreement. This status triggers specific protections, including health monitoring and limits on maximum working time.

• Premium Pay: There is no single statutory night work premium rate in Martinique, but sectoral and company agreements commonly grant a premium of 20% to 30% of the base hourly wage, meaning pay of 1.20x to 1.30x for hours worked during the defined night period.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers must be offered periodic medical examinations, typically at least every 6 months to 1 year, to assess fitness for night work and identify any health issues linked to disrupted sleep patterns.
• Workplace Restrictions: Night work is generally prohibited for employees under 18, with very limited exceptions, and pregnant workers may be reassigned away from night shifts or granted leave if medical advice indicates a risk.

Weekend work, particularly on Sundays, is normally restricted because Sunday is the usual weekly rest day in Martinique. Authorizations or collective agreements are required in many sectors to schedule Sunday work, and employees must receive compensatory rest if their weekly rest day is moved. Where Sunday or weekend work is performed, collective agreements frequently provide premium pay of 50% to 100%, meaning 1.5x to 2.0x the normal hourly rate, in addition to any applicable overtime premiums.