Working Hours and Overtime in Martinique

In Martinique, 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, labor authorities are expected to continue focusing on accurate timekeeping, proper classification of employees, and enforcement of rest and overtime rules. You should review contracts, collective agreements, and internal policies to ensure that standard hours, overtime arrangements, and rest periods are clearly defined, consistently applied, and fully documented. Investing in reliable time-tracking systems and training managers on scheduling obligations will help you anticipate regulatory inspections and avoid 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 Martinique?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 7 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 follows French labor law, the statutory full-time working week is 35 hours, usually spread over five days. The legal daily limit is generally 10 hours, although this can be increased in specific, regulated circumstances by collective agreement or administrative authorization. The average weekly working time, including overtime, must not exceed 44 hours over a 12-week reference period, and there is an absolute ceiling of 48 hours in any single week except in narrowly defined emergencies.

As an employer, you must organize schedules so that employees do not exceed these limits and ensure that any variation in working hours is documented in work schedules, time sheets, or electronic timekeeping systems. You should also monitor cumulative hours over the applicable reference period to avoid breaching average weekly limits.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Hospitality And Tourism Establishments
• Agriculture And Seasonal Harvest Work
• Maritime And Port Operations
• Healthcare And Residential Care Facilities
• Retail And Extended Opening Hours
• Transportation And Logistics Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Certain managerial employees in Martinique may be classified under a forfait arrangement, where working time is calculated on a daily or annual basis rather than by the hour. These employees typically have significant autonomy in organizing their work and are not subject to the standard 35-hour weekly limit in the same way as hourly staff. However, they remain protected by overarching rules on health and safety, maximum daily and weekly working time, and mandatory rest periods.

To rely on such an exemption, you must have a valid collective agreement and an individual written agreement with the employee that clearly defines the forfait structure, the number of days or hours covered, and the associated compensation. Regular monitoring of workload and annual reviews are recommended to ensure that working time remains reasonable and compliant.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Martinique

The statutory full-time schedule in Martinique is 35 hours per week for most employees. This threshold is used to determine when overtime begins and to distinguish full-time from part-time status. Many employers still operate on a 39-hour schedule, in which case the hours worked beyond 35 per week are generally treated as overtime and must be compensated at the applicable premium rates or through equivalent paid time off.

When drafting employment contracts, you should clearly state the weekly working hours, the distribution of those hours across the week, and how any additional hours will be handled. Transparent documentation helps avoid disputes and demonstrates compliance during inspections or audits.

Overtime Regulations In Martinique

What Counts As Overtime In Martinique?

In Martinique, overtime is generally any time worked beyond the statutory 35-hour workweek for full-time employees. For staff on a 35-hour contract, the 36th and subsequent hours in a given week are considered overtime, subject to the applicable premium rates and caps. For employees on a different contractual schedule, overtime is assessed against the contractual hours, provided that the arrangement respects statutory limits and is not used to circumvent overtime rules.

Overtime must be requested or at least authorized by the employer. You should implement clear internal procedures stating who can approve overtime, how it is recorded, and how it will be compensated. Unauthorized overtime that is nevertheless worked and accepted may still need to be paid, so active monitoring and prompt correction of scheduling issues are essential.

Maximum Overtime In Martinique

Overtime in Martinique is subject to both weekly and annual limits. In principle, total working time, including overtime, may not exceed 48 hours in any single week and should average no more than 44 hours per week over a 12-week reference period. Beyond these general limits, there is typically an annual overtime quota of around 220 hours per employee, which can be adjusted by collective agreement within legal boundaries.

As an employer, you must track overtime hours per employee throughout the year and ensure that you do not exceed the applicable quota without following the required consultation and notification procedures. Exceeding legal limits without justification can expose your company to administrative sanctions, back pay claims, and potential criminal liability in serious cases.

Overtime Payout Rates In Martinique

Overtime pay in Martinique follows the French system of progressive premium rates. Unless a more favorable collective agreement applies, the first eight overtime hours in a week (typically hours 36 to 43) are paid at a minimum 25 percent premium over the employee’s normal hourly rate. Overtime hours beyond that threshold are generally paid at a minimum 50 percent premium. Collective agreements may provide higher rates or additional compensatory rest.

Instead of or in addition to monetary payment, overtime can sometimes be compensated with equivalent paid time off, provided this is allowed by law and any applicable collective agreement, and is clearly documented. You should specify in employment contracts and internal policies how overtime will be compensated, ensure accurate timekeeping, and reflect overtime payments or compensatory rest on pay slips to maintain full transparency and compliance.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Martinique

In Martinique, employees typically work up to 10 hours per day within a statutory full-time framework of 35 hours per week, and rest periods and breaks are designed to protect health and safety within these limits. As an employer, you must ensure that workers receive minimum breaks during the working day, sufficient daily rest between shifts, and uninterrupted weekly rest, all coordinated with your scheduling of standard working hours and any authorized overtime.

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