Working Hours and Overtime in Paraguay

In Paraguay, 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.

Compliance requires you to structure work schedules within the statutory daily and weekly limits, apply the correct overtime thresholds for day, night, and mixed shifts, and ensure that employees receive their entitled daily and weekly rest. You must maintain accurate time records, clearly document working-time policies, and reflect overtime premiums transparently in payroll. Looking ahead to 2026, regulators are expected to continue focusing on enforcement of working-time rules, electronic timekeeping, and the prevention of excessive or systematic overtime, particularly in high-risk sectors such as hospitality, security, and logistics.

To remain compliant, you should periodically review collective agreements, internal regulations, and employment contracts to confirm they align with current law and anticipated regulatory trends. Investing in robust scheduling and time-tracking systems, training managers on authorization of overtime, and conducting internal audits of working hours will help you mitigate the risk of disputes, back pay claims, and administrative sanctions while supporting employee well-being and retention.

• 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 Paraguay?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 48 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 60 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 08:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Paraguay

Under Paraguayan labor law, the general maximum working time for adult employees is 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for daytime work. For night work – typically defined as work performed between 20:00 and 06:00 – the limit is reduced to 7 hours per day and 42 hours per week, reflecting the greater strain associated with night shifts. For mixed shifts that include both day and night hours, the usual cap is 7.5 hours per day and 45 hours per week. These limits apply to most private-sector employees and are designed to protect health and safety while allowing employers to organize work efficiently.

Daily and weekly limits are generally calculated based on the employment contract and the employer’s internal work schedules, provided they remain within statutory caps. You may distribute hours unevenly across the week – for example, slightly longer days from Monday to Friday with a shorter Saturday – as long as the total weekly hours do not exceed the legal maximum and employees receive the required weekly rest. Any work performed beyond these limits is considered overtime and must be compensated at enhanced rates.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Agricultural And Livestock Activities
• Hospital And Health Services
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Restaurants
• Security, Surveillance, And Guard Services
• Transportation And Logistics Operations
• Retail And Commerce With Extended Opening Hours
• Continuous-Process Manufacturing And Industrial Plants

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and employees in positions of trust often have broader flexibility in their schedules, but they are not automatically exempt from working-time protections. In Paraguay, the law may allow certain high-level executives – such as directors, general managers, and those who represent the employer – to be excluded from strict hourly tracking where their remuneration and responsibilities clearly reflect this status. However, you should be cautious when classifying employees as exempt: job titles alone are not sufficient, and the actual duties, level of autonomy, and decision-making authority are key factors.

For mid-level managers and professionals, it is common to agree on a standard weekly schedule within the statutory limits, with overtime rules applying when those limits are exceeded. Even where a more flexible or trust-based schedule is used, you remain responsible for ensuring that total hours do not systematically exceed legal caps without proper overtime pay and that daily and weekly rest periods are respected. Misclassification of employees as exempt can expose your company to back pay claims, fines, and reputational risk.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Paraguay

Statutory full-time work in Paraguay is generally understood as 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for daytime schedules. For night or mixed schedules, full-time status is based on the reduced legal limits of 42 or 45 hours per week respectively. Employment contracts should clearly specify the normal daily and weekly hours, the classification of the shift (day, night, or mixed), and the distribution of hours across the week.

When designing full-time roles, you should align internal policies, timekeeping systems, and payroll processes with these statutory thresholds. Clearly documenting standard hours, rest breaks, and any flexible arrangements will help you demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection or dispute. Part-time arrangements should be explicitly defined as working fewer hours than the statutory full-time limits, with proportional pay and benefits where applicable.

Overtime Regulations In Paraguay

What Counts As Overtime In Paraguay?

In Paraguay, overtime is generally any time worked beyond the statutory daily or weekly limits applicable to the employee’s schedule. For daytime workers, this means hours beyond 8 per day or 48 per week. For night workers, overtime begins after 7 hours per day or 42 per week, and for mixed shifts after 7.5 hours per day or 45 per week. Overtime can also arise when employees work on their weekly rest day or on a public holiday, unless a specific legal exception applies and compensatory rest is granted.

To treat hours as overtime, you must be able to demonstrate that they were actually worked and authorized, either expressly or implicitly, through reliable time records. Paraguayan authorities expect employers to maintain accurate attendance and timekeeping systems – whether manual or electronic – that capture start and end times, breaks, and any additional hours. Unrecorded or off-the-clock work can still be claimed as overtime by employees, so clear policies on authorization and recording of extra hours are essential.

Maximum Overtime In Paraguay

Overtime in Paraguay is intended to be exceptional rather than routine. While the law allows employers to request additional hours to meet production peaks, emergencies, or special operational needs, there are limits to protect employee health and safety. As a general guideline, daily overtime should not exceed 3 hours, and weekly overtime should remain within a reasonable cap – often interpreted in practice as no more than 12 hours per week – so that total working time does not become excessive.

In extraordinary circumstances, such as force majeure, accidents, or urgent repairs, you may be able to require additional overtime beyond normal limits, but this should be strictly temporary, properly documented, and compensated at the appropriate premium rates. Collective bargaining agreements or sectoral regulations may set stricter caps or require prior consultation with worker representatives. Systematic reliance on overtime to cover regular staffing needs can attract scrutiny from labor inspectors and may be viewed as an attempt to circumvent standard working-time rules.

Overtime Payout Rates In Paraguay

Paraguayan labor law requires that overtime be paid at premium rates above the employee’s regular hourly wage. For standard overtime hours worked beyond the normal daily or weekly limits, the typical minimum premium is 50% above the base rate – that is, overtime is paid at 150% of the regular hourly wage. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is usually compensated at a higher premium, commonly 100% above the base rate, meaning 200% of the regular hourly wage, unless equivalent compensatory rest is granted under a lawful arrangement.

To calculate overtime pay, you should first determine the employee’s regular hourly rate by dividing the monthly salary by the legally recognized number of working hours in the month. Then apply the relevant premium (for example, 1.5x or 2x) to each overtime hour. Payroll systems should clearly itemize overtime hours and rates on pay slips so employees can verify their compensation. Failure to pay correct overtime premiums can result in back pay awards, surcharges, and fines, so it is important to align your internal policies and collective agreements with statutory minimums and to review them periodically as regulations evolve.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Paraguay

In Paraguay, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week in daytime schedules, with reduced limits for night and mixed shifts, and rest periods and breaks are structured around these standard hours to protect health and safety. During the working day, employees who work more than a set number of hours must receive a meal break, and between working days they are entitled to a minimum daily rest period. In addition, employees must receive an uninterrupted weekly rest period, usually on Sunday, and special protections apply to minors, who have shorter maximum working hours and stricter rest requirements. As an employer, you are responsible for organizing schedules so that these breaks and rest periods are effectively granted and properly recorded.

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