Working Hours and Overtime in Mauritania

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Mauritania?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 40 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 8:00 to 16:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Mauritania

Under Mauritanian labour law, the general statutory limit for full-time work is 40 hours per week, usually spread over five or six days. Daily working time is commonly set at 8 hours, and you should structure schedules so that employees do not regularly exceed this threshold. Any hours beyond these limits are treated as overtime and must be justified by business needs.

Collective agreements or company-level policies may organize working time over reference periods, but they cannot reduce the protections granted by the Labour Code. As an employer, you must clearly document working schedules, display them at the workplace, and keep accurate time records for inspection. You are also responsible for ensuring that daily and weekly rest periods are respected when arranging shifts.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. These rules can allow for longer daily shifts, split shifts, or irregular hours, provided that the average weekly working time does not exceed 40 hours over the agreed reference period. You should always verify whether a sectoral collective agreement or decree applies to your activity.

• 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 adjust staffing levels when longer shifts are used. Written shift rosters and prior notice of changes are strongly recommended to remain compliant and transparent.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff and certain trusted employees may be treated as having broader autonomy over their working hours. In practice, this means they may not be subject to the same strict hourly tracking as other employees, but they are still protected by general health and safety rules. Their status and expected working time should be clearly defined in the employment contract.

Even when employees are considered managerial or exempt, you should avoid imposing excessive hours that could endanger health or constitute abuse. Courts in Mauritania can requalify an arrangement if the employee has no real autonomy or if working time becomes unreasonable. It is prudent to set indicative weekly hours and ensure that any substantial overtime is exceptional and documented.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Mauritania

Statutory full-time employment in Mauritania is based on a 40-hour workweek for most private-sector employees. This 40-hour benchmark is used to calculate overtime thresholds and pro-rate part-time contracts. Any schedule that regularly exceeds 40 hours should be treated as involving overtime with the appropriate premiums.

Part-time work is permitted, provided the agreed hours are clearly stated in the contract and do not exceed the full-time threshold. You may also use flexible or staggered hours, as long as the average does not surpass 40 hours per week over the chosen reference period. Always ensure that daily and weekly rest requirements are preserved when designing alternative schedules.

Overtime Regulations In Mauritania

Employers in Mauritania must closely monitor and record all hours worked beyond the standard 40-hour workweek. Overtime should be exceptional, justified by business needs, and authorized in advance according to internal procedures. Failure to track and compensate overtime correctly exposes you to back-pay claims, administrative fines, and potential criminal liability.

You are required to maintain reliable timekeeping systems, such as timesheets or electronic clocking, that can be presented to labour inspectors. Payroll records must clearly show overtime hours and the applicable premium rates. Transparent communication of overtime rules in contracts and policies helps reduce disputes and supports compliance.

What Counts As Overtime In Mauritania?

In Mauritania, overtime is generally any time worked beyond 40 hours in a week for full-time employees. Work performed beyond the normal daily schedule, such as more than 8 hours in a day, is also treated as overtime when it causes the weekly total to exceed 40 hours. You should define standard daily and weekly hours in contracts or internal regulations to make these thresholds clear.

Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day, typically Friday or Sunday depending on the company, is treated as overtime and attracts higher premiums. Similarly, hours worked on public holidays are considered overtime and must be paid at enhanced rates, even if the weekly total remains at or below 40 hours. Standby or on-call time may count as working time when the employee’s freedom of movement is significantly restricted.

Maximum Overtime In Mauritania

Mauritanian rules generally limit overtime to 20 hours per week, meaning total working time should not exceed 60 hours in any given week. Over a year, overtime is typically capped at 200 hours per employee, unless a specific ministerial authorization or collective agreement allows an increase. You should plan staffing so that these limits are respected and overtime remains truly exceptional.

Where extensions are permitted, they are usually subject to prior approval from the labour authorities and consultation with worker representatives when present. In such cases, annual overtime may be increased up to 300 hours, but you must still comply with daily and weekly rest requirements. Keeping a dedicated overtime register is advisable to demonstrate that you remain within the numerical caps.

Overtime Payout Rates In Mauritania

Overtime in Mauritania is typically paid at a minimum premium of 15% above the normal hourly wage for the first tranche of extra hours. For example, hours worked between 41 and 48 in a week are commonly paid at 115% (1.15x) of the base rate. Beyond that, higher bands may apply depending on the collective agreement or internal rules.

Work performed at night or on weekly rest days is usually compensated at 50% above the normal rate, meaning 150% (1.5x) of base pay. Work on public holidays is often paid at 100% above the normal rate, or 200% (2.0x) of base pay. You should clearly codify these numerical rates in contracts and payroll systems to ensure consistent and auditable application.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Mauritania

In Mauritania, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health within this framework. The law requires that breaks and daily and weekly rest be integrated into work schedules so that employees can recover adequately. As an employer, you must organize working time so that these rest entitlements are actually taken, not just written into policy.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours must receive at least a 30-minute unpaid or paid meal break, depending on the collective agreement. You should schedule this break roughly in the middle of the work period to reduce fatigue.
• Daily Rest: Workers are generally entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between two working days. This means you should avoid scheduling late-night work followed by an early-morning shift.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, typically attached to a Friday or Sunday in Mauritania. If business needs require work on the usual rest day, you must grant a substitute rest day within the same week.
• Minors: Young workers under 18 benefit from stricter limits on daily hours and must receive longer rest periods between shifts. You should avoid scheduling minors for night work or extended overtime that could harm their development.
• Employer Duty: Employers are responsible for planning rosters that respect all statutory rest periods and for keeping records that prove compliance. Labour inspectors may review these records, and non-compliance can lead to fines and orders to adjust schedules.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Mauritania

Night and weekend work are legal in Mauritania but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must ensure that such work is justified by operational needs, does not endanger workers’ health, and complies with specific rules on rest and pay. Written policies and clear communication with staff are essential when introducing night or weekend shifts.

Night work in Mauritania is generally understood as work performed between 22:00 and 05:00, although collective agreements may define a slightly different window. These hours are considered more demanding, and you should apply appropriate premiums and safeguards to employees regularly assigned to them. The definition applies across roles, including production, security, and service staff.

• Premium Pay: Night work is commonly compensated with a premium of at least 30% above the normal hourly wage, meaning 130% (1.3x) of base pay for hours worked between 22:00 and 05:00. If night work coincides with overtime, you should apply both the overtime premium and the night premium cumulatively or according to the more favourable rule in your collective agreement.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers should be offered periodic medical examinations to monitor fatigue, sleep disorders, and other health impacts. You should also assess workplace risks and adjust staffing or shift patterns if health issues are identified.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 are generally prohibited from night work, except for limited, regulated exceptions in certain sectors. Pregnant workers should be exempted from night shifts upon medical recommendation and reassigned to daytime duties without loss of pay where possible.

Weekend work, particularly on the designated weekly rest day, is allowed but must remain exceptional and compensated appropriately. Employees who work on their weekly rest day should receive either a substitute rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours or a premium of at least 50% above the normal rate, meaning 150% (1.5x) of base pay for those hours. You should document any weekend work and the corresponding rest or premium in your time and payroll records.