Working Hours and Overtime in Myanmar

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Myanmar?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 4 hours per day and 20 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 5 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 9:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Myanmar

Under the Factories Act and Shops and Establishments Act, the normal limit for adult employees is 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week. You must organize schedules so that employees do not exceed these standard limits in ordinary circumstances. Any work beyond these thresholds is treated as overtime and must follow statutory rules.

Daily hours may be spread over a maximum 10-hour span when you include rest breaks, but actual working time cannot exceed 8 hours. You should clearly record start and end times, breaks, and total daily hours in attendance systems. Collective agreements or internal policies may offer shorter standard hours, but they cannot lawfully increase the statutory maximums.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In continuous-process operations or essential services, authorities may approve longer daily spans while still capping total working hours and overtime. You must obtain any required approvals from the Factories and General Labour Laws Inspection Department before implementing exceptional schedules.

• 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. In Myanmar practice, this means that even if shifts are compressed or extended on some days, the average should not exceed 48 hours per week over the agreed reference period. You should document how you calculate and monitor this average.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain supervisory staff may have more flexible schedules, but they are still covered by core health and safety protections. You cannot require managers to work unlimited hours without regard to fatigue, rest, and reasonable work–life balance. Employment contracts should specify expected weekly hours, availability outside normal hours, and how any overtime or time off in lieu will be handled.

Where you classify employees as exempt from overtime, that status must be grounded in Myanmar law and not just job titles. Misclassifying staff as managerial to avoid overtime obligations can expose you to back-pay claims and penalties. Keep written justifications for exempt classifications and review them periodically.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Myanmar

In Myanmar, full-time work is generally understood as 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult employees. Many employers choose to operate on a 40–44 hour week for competitive and operational reasons, but the statutory ceiling remains 48 hours. Any arrangement that regularly exceeds these limits is non-compliant unless specifically authorized under applicable laws.

Part-time or reduced-hours arrangements must be clearly documented, including how pay, benefits, and leave entitlements are prorated. You should also clarify whether part-time staff may work overtime and at what point overtime premiums apply. Transparent communication of these terms helps avoid disputes and supports compliance audits.

Overtime Regulations In Myanmar

As an employer in Myanmar, you must closely monitor and record any hours worked beyond the normal 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. Overtime requires prior authorization, accurate timekeeping, and payment of statutory premium rates where applicable. Failure to comply can lead to back-pay liabilities, administrative fines, and potential criminal sanctions under labour laws.

What Counts As Overtime In Myanmar?

Overtime for adult workers in Myanmar generally means any work performed beyond 8 hours in a day or 48 hours in a week, depending on how the schedule is structured. Work performed on a designated weekly rest day or public holiday is also treated as overtime, even if the weekly total remains within 48 hours. You should define in writing which days are normal working days, weekly rest days, and public holidays for each employee.

Overtime must usually be based on the employee’s basic wage plus any regular allowances that form part of normal earnings. You should obtain written consent from employees for planned overtime and keep signed overtime request or approval forms. Clear internal rules on when overtime is allowed and how it is compensated will help you demonstrate compliance during inspections.

Maximum Overtime In Myanmar

Under Myanmar labour regulations, overtime is generally capped at 3 hours per day, meaning total working time should not exceed 11 hours in any one day. In weekly terms, overtime is typically limited so that total hours, including overtime, do not exceed 60 hours per week, which implies a maximum of 12 overtime hours on top of the 48 standard hours. You must not schedule overtime that would cause employees to exceed these daily or weekly ceilings.

Some sectors or special circumstances may allow temporary extensions with prior approval from the relevant labour authorities, but the base cap of 3 overtime hours per day remains the starting point. You should keep documentation of any approvals that permit deviations from the standard caps, including the period covered and the specific groups of employees affected. Without such approvals, inspectors will assess your compliance against the 3 hours per day and 60 hours per week total limit.

Overtime Payout Rates In Myanmar

In Myanmar, overtime on a normal working day must be paid at a minimum of 2x the employee’s basic hourly wage, equivalent to a 200% rate. When employees work on a designated weekly rest day, the minimum overtime rate is also commonly applied at 2x the basic hourly wage. You should calculate the hourly rate by dividing the monthly wage by 26 days and then by 8 hours, unless a different lawful method is specified.

For work performed on public holidays, Myanmar practice requires a higher premium of at least 2.5x the basic hourly wage, equivalent to 250%. If an employee works both overtime hours and on a public holiday, you should apply the highest applicable rate, not stack multiple premiums on the same hours. Your payroll records must clearly show the number of overtime hours at each rate and the corresponding amounts paid.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Myanmar

In Myanmar, adult employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect health within these limits. Employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours must receive a meal break, and daily and weekly rest must be scheduled around the standard working hours. You should align your break policies with these statutory thresholds and clearly communicate them in work rules.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 5 hours in a day must receive at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break, which is usually unpaid unless your policy states otherwise.
• Daily Rest: Workers are generally entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next, and you should avoid split shifts that undermine this rest.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least one full 24-hour rest day each week, commonly on Sunday or another fixed day agreed in the employment contract.
• Minors: Young workers face stricter limits on daily hours and must receive more frequent and longer breaks, and you should avoid scheduling them for late evening or night work.
• Employer Duty: You are responsible for planning rosters so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, and for keeping records that show compliance during inspections.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Myanmar

Night and weekend work are legal in Myanmar but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay attention to restrictions for women and young workers, ensure adequate rest, and apply any agreed premium rates. Proper planning and documentation are essential to show that these non-standard hours are managed safely.

Night work in Myanmar is commonly understood as work performed between 22:00 and 05:00, although specific laws for factories and shops may define slightly different windows. These rules apply across most roles, with particular focus on industrial, service, and security work where night operations are common. You should clearly label night shifts in rosters and payroll so that any applicable protections and premiums are correctly applied.

• Premium Pay: Myanmar law does not prescribe a specific statutory night work premium, so there is no mandatory percentage such as 1.25x or 25%, and night work compensation is typically set by contract or collective agreement, often in the range of 1.25x–1.5x of the basic hourly wage.
• Health Monitoring: While there is no detailed statutory schedule for medical checks, you are expected under general occupational safety duties to monitor the health of regular night workers and offer periodic health assessments where risks are identified.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors are generally prohibited from night work, and pregnant workers should not be assigned to night shifts where this would pose health or safety risks, with reasonable accommodations or alternative duties provided.

Weekend work, including work on the usual weekly rest day such as Sunday, is allowed in Myanmar if employees receive at least one 24-hour rest period in each 7-day period. When employees work on their designated weekly rest day, you must provide a substitute rest day and pay overtime at not less than 2x the basic hourly wage for those hours. Clearly documenting which day is the weekly rest day for each employee will help you manage these obligations.