Working Hours and Overtime in North Macedonia

What Are The Standard Working Hours In North Macedonia?

An employee whose age is 18 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 09:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In North Macedonia

The Labour Relations Law sets the standard full-time schedule at 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week for adult employees. Employers must organize working time so that these limits are respected in the employment contract and in practice. Any extension beyond these limits is treated as overtime and must follow strict legal conditions.

Collective agreements or internal rules may distribute working hours unevenly across days, provided that the average does not exceed 40 hours per week over the applicable reference period. Employers must keep accurate records of hours worked for each employee and make them available to labour inspectors on request. Failure to respect daily and weekly limits can result in fines and mandatory corrective measures.

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 individual shifts, such as 10 or 12 hours, as long as statutory daily rest and weekly rest are preserved. Employers must ensure that any such arrangements are clearly documented and, where required, agreed with employee representatives.

• 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. Employers should regularly review rosters to confirm that the average does not exceed 40 hours per week and that overtime caps are not breached. Any derogations must be justified by the nature of the work and supported by risk assessments.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff in North Macedonia may have more flexible working time arrangements, often with broader availability expectations. However, they are still protected by fundamental health and safety rules, including daily and weekly rest. Employers cannot contract out of core protections even for highly paid or trusted positions.

Where managers are excluded from standard overtime pay by law or collective agreement, this must be clearly stated in the employment contract. Their salary should reflect the broader scope of duties and the expectation of irregular or extended hours. Employers should still monitor workloads to avoid excessive working time that could create health or burnout risks.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In North Macedonia

Statutory full-time work in North Macedonia is defined as 40 hours per week for adult employees. This is typically structured as five 8-hour days, but employers may adopt different patterns such as six shorter days if the total remains 40 hours. Any arrangement that regularly exceeds 40 hours per week is considered overtime and must comply with overtime rules.

Part-time work is any schedule below 40 hours per week and must be clearly specified in the employment contract. Part-time employees enjoy the same rights as full-time staff on a pro rata basis, including rest periods and paid leave. Employers should avoid using successive part-time contracts to circumvent full-time obligations or overtime rules.

Overtime Regulations In North Macedonia

Employers in North Macedonia may require overtime only in exceptional and justified cases, such as increased workload or emergencies. You must keep precise records of all overtime hours worked by each employee and retain them for inspection. Non-compliance with overtime rules exposes your company to administrative fines and potential claims for unpaid premiums.

What Counts As Overtime In North Macedonia?

Overtime in North Macedonia is any work performed beyond the statutory 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week for full-time employees. Work performed on an employee’s weekly rest day or on a public holiday is also treated as overtime and attracts higher pay rates. Overtime must generally be ordered in writing by the employer and cannot be used as a permanent staffing solution.

Employees who work part-time generate overtime once they exceed their agreed contractual hours and, in any case, when they surpass the 8-hour daily or 40-hour weekly thresholds. Employers should monitor both daily and weekly totals to identify when overtime is triggered. You must also ensure that minimum daily and weekly rest periods are not compromised by overtime scheduling.

Maximum Overtime In North Macedonia

The Labour Relations Law limits overtime to a maximum of 8 hours per week per employee. In addition, overtime may not exceed 190 hours per calendar year for each employee. These caps apply regardless of whether the overtime is worked on regular days, nights, weekends, or holidays.

Any need to approach the annual limit should be carefully planned and justified, and employers should consider hiring additional staff instead of relying on systematic overtime. In exceptional circumstances, certain sectors may obtain temporary extensions through collective agreements or authority approvals, but the 8 hours per week and 190 hours per year remain the general benchmarks. Exceeding these limits can lead to sanctions from the State Labour Inspectorate.

Overtime Payout Rates In North Macedonia

Overtime work in North Macedonia must be paid at a premium of at least 35% above the employee’s regular hourly wage, meaning a minimum rate of 135% (1.35x) of the base rate. Work performed on a weekly rest day, typically Sunday, is usually compensated at a minimum of 50% above the regular wage, or 150% (1.5x), under common collective agreements. Employers should verify whether sectoral agreements impose higher percentages and adjust payroll settings accordingly.

Public holiday work is generally paid at a higher premium, commonly at least 50% to 100% above the regular wage, corresponding to 150% (1.5x) to 200% (2.0x), depending on the applicable collective agreement or company policy. Night overtime can attract cumulative premiums, for example 135% for overtime plus an additional 35% night premium, resulting in 170% (1.7x) or more. All applicable percentages and calculation methods should be clearly described in employment contracts or internal regulations to avoid disputes.

Rest Periods And Breaks In North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, employees typically work 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health within this framework. The law provides for meal breaks during the working day, daily rest between shifts, and weekly rest after a series of working days. Employers must integrate these breaks into work schedules so that total working time and overtime remain within legal limits.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 hours in a day are entitled to a paid or unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes, which should generally be scheduled in the middle of the shift. Employers must ensure that operational demands do not effectively prevent staff from taking this break.
• Daily Rest: Employees are entitled to a minimum uninterrupted daily rest of 12 hours between the end of one workday and the start of the next. This means that after finishing work, an employee should not be scheduled again until at least 12 hours have elapsed.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, which is typically scheduled on Sunday in North Macedonia. In continuous operations, this rest may be moved to another day of the week, but the 24-hour minimum must still be respected.
• Minors: Workers under 18 years of age benefit from stricter protections, including shorter maximum daily hours and longer rest periods. Employers must avoid scheduling minors for night work and must ensure that their weekly rest is not reduced.
• Employer Duty: Employers are responsible for planning shifts so that all statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, not just written into policy. Labour inspectors may review time records and rosters to verify compliance with these obligations.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In North Macedonia

Night and weekend work are legal in North Macedonia but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay attention to working-time limits, health and safety risks, and any applicable collective agreement rules when scheduling such work. Proper documentation and consultation with employee representatives are essential where night or weekend work is regular.

Night work in North Macedonia is generally defined as work performed between 22:00 and 06:00, and employees who perform at least three hours of their daily work or a significant portion of their annual hours in this window are considered night workers. This definition applies across most roles and sectors, although specific collective agreements may refine the exact criteria. Employers must identify night workers and apply the relevant protections and premiums.

• Premium Pay: Night work is commonly compensated with a premium of at least 35% above the regular hourly wage, resulting in a minimum of 135% (1.35x) of base pay for hours worked between 22:00 and 06:00. Where night work coincides with overtime or work on holidays, premiums may be cumulative, leading to rates of 170% (1.7x) or higher depending on the applicable agreement.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers should be offered periodic health assessments to monitor the impact of night schedules on their physical and mental health. If a medical assessment finds that night work is harmful, the employer should, where possible, reassign the worker to a suitable day role.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 are generally prohibited from night work, with only very narrow exceptions in specific supervised contexts. Pregnant workers and recent mothers are also protected, and employers should avoid assigning them to night shifts where this could endanger their health or that of the child.

Weekend work, particularly on Sunday, is treated as work on a weekly rest day and is subject to stricter justification and higher pay. Employees who work on Sunday should receive substitute rest of at least 24 consecutive hours on another day and a premium of at least 50% above the regular wage, meaning 150% (1.5x) pay for those hours. Employers should clearly communicate weekend expectations in contracts and schedules and avoid systematic Sunday work where not operationally necessary.