Working Hours and Overtime in Moldova

In Moldova, 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.

As you plan workforce schedules through 2026, you should expect continued enforcement of the 40-hour workweek, tighter scrutiny of overtime practices, and growing emphasis on accurate timekeeping and transparent internal policies. Aligning contracts, shift patterns, and payroll systems with Labour Code requirements – and monitoring for legislative updates or sectoral agreements – will help you avoid disputes, withstand inspections, and support employee wellbeing in a competitive labour market.

• 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 Moldova?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 5 hours per day and 24 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 4 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 9:00 to 18:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Moldova

Under Moldovan labour legislation, the general rule is a standard working week of 40 hours, usually structured as 8 hours per day over 5 days. You should design work schedules so that daily working time, including any preparatory or concluding activities, does not exceed 8 hours for adult employees in normal conditions. Shorter limits apply to specific categories of workers, such as minors, employees working in harmful or hazardous conditions, and certain disabled employees, where the law prescribes reduced daily or weekly hours.

When you introduce shift work or irregular schedules, the average working time over the applicable reference period must still not exceed 40 hours per week. Any hours worked beyond the employee’s normal daily or weekly schedule are treated as overtime and must comply with statutory overtime limits and compensation rules.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Process Manufacturing And Utilities
• Healthcare And Emergency Services
• Transport, Logistics, And Road Haulage
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Retail
• Agriculture And Seasonal Field Work
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain categories of highly autonomous employees may have more flexible schedules, but they are not fully exempt from Moldovan working time protections. You may agree on broader availability or irregular hours for such staff, yet you must still respect health and safety principles, ensure reasonable limits on daily and weekly working time, and provide adequate rest periods. Any arrangement that effectively requires systematic work beyond the standard 40-hour week should be clearly documented in the employment contract or internal regulations, with transparent rules on compensation, time off in lieu, or inclusive salary arrangements where permitted by law.

Even for managerial staff, you should monitor workloads, avoid excessive overtime, and ensure that night work, work on weekly rest days, and work on public holidays are specifically authorized and compensated according to the Labour Code or applicable collective agreements.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Moldova

Statutory full-time employment in Moldova is generally defined as 40 hours per week for adult employees working under normal conditions. This is typically organized as 8 hours per day over a 5-day workweek, with two consecutive rest days, usually Saturday and Sunday. For employees in harmful or hazardous conditions, the statutory full-time norm is reduced, often to 36 hours per week or less, depending on the specific risk classification and any sectoral regulations.

When you hire part-time employees, their working hours are set below the 40-hour weekly norm and must be clearly specified in the employment contract. Part-time staff enjoy the same rights as full-time employees on a pro rata basis, including access to overtime pay when they exceed their agreed schedule or the statutory thresholds. You should ensure that internal policies, timekeeping systems, and employment contracts accurately reflect whether a role is full-time or part-time and how working hours are distributed.

Overtime Regulations In Moldova

What Counts As Overtime In Moldova?

In Moldova, overtime is generally any work performed beyond the employee’s normal daily or weekly working schedule as set in the employment contract, internal regulations, or collective agreement, provided that schedule complies with the statutory 40-hour weekly limit for full-time work. When you require an employee to work more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week, those additional hours are considered overtime unless they are part of an approved flexible or aggregated working time arrangement that keeps the average within legal limits over the reference period.

Overtime must normally be ordered in writing by the employer and is allowed only in the cases and under the conditions provided by the Labour Code, such as urgent work, prevention of accidents, or exceptional production needs. Certain categories of employees, including pregnant women, some disabled employees, and minors, are either prohibited from working overtime or may do so only with their written consent and subject to strict safeguards.

Maximum Overtime In Moldova

Moldovan law restricts the amount of overtime you can require from employees to protect their health and safety. As a general benchmark, overtime should not exceed 120 hours per year per employee, although this ceiling may be increased up to 240 hours per year by collective agreement or internal regulations, subject to consultation with employee representatives and compliance with the Labour Code. You should also respect daily and weekly limits so that total working time, including overtime, does not become excessive.

Overtime should be used only in exceptional or temporary situations, not as a permanent staffing solution. You must keep accurate records of all overtime hours worked, the reasons for ordering overtime, and the compensation provided. These records are essential for labour inspections and for demonstrating compliance if disputes arise.

Overtime Payout Rates In Moldova

Overtime work in Moldova must be compensated at enhanced rates compared with normal working hours. The Labour Code generally requires that overtime be paid at a premium of at least 50 percent above the employee’s regular hourly rate for the first hours of overtime and at least 100 percent above the regular rate for overtime performed at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays, unless more favourable terms are set by a collective agreement or individual contract.

Instead of increased pay, you may agree with the employee to grant paid time off in lieu that is at least equivalent to the overtime premium, provided this is documented and taken within the legally prescribed period. Whatever method you choose, your internal policies should clearly describe overtime approval procedures, applicable rates, and how overtime is recorded and compensated, so employees understand their rights and you can demonstrate consistent, lawful practice.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Moldova

In Moldova, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and the Labour Code links rest periods and breaks directly to these limits by requiring meal breaks during the working day, minimum uninterrupted daily rest between shifts, and weekly rest days so that total working time and recovery periods remain balanced and do not endanger employee health or safety.

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