Working Hours and Overtime in Senegal

In Senegal, 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 regulations continue to evolve toward 2026, authorities are placing greater emphasis on transparent scheduling, accurate timekeeping, and effective consultation with employee representatives. Employers should regularly review collective agreements, update internal policies, and train managers on how to authorize, record, and compensate working time. Proactive compliance will reduce the risk of disputes, inspections, and financial penalties while supporting employee wellbeing 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 Senegal?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 7 hours per day and 40 hours per week. An employee whose age is 16 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 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Senegal

Under Senegalese labor law, the general statutory limit for full-time work in the private sector is 40 hours per week, usually spread over 5 or 6 days. Daily working time is commonly organized into 8-hour days, but employers may distribute hours differently across the week as long as the weekly ceiling and applicable daily health and safety limits are respected. Any time worked beyond the agreed schedule or above the statutory weekly limit is treated as overtime and must be compensated at enhanced rates.

For young workers, stricter limits apply. Employees under 18 are subject to reduced daily and weekly hours, restrictions on night work, and additional protections related to the nature of tasks they can perform. Employers must verify age before assigning schedules and keep appropriate records to demonstrate compliance with youth employment rules.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Agriculture And Seasonal Campaigns
• Hotels, Restaurants, And Tourism Services
• Transport, Ports, And Logistics Operations
• Healthcare And Emergency Services
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance
• Continuous-Process Manufacturing And Energy

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain categories of supervisory or highly autonomous employees may be treated differently from standard hourly staff. In Senegal, these employees are often engaged on a flat-rate or lump-sum basis for working time, particularly where their responsibilities require irregular hours, on-call availability, or extended presence on site. However, this does not give employers unlimited discretion. The overall workload must remain reasonable, respect health and safety principles, and comply with mandatory rest periods and public policy limits.

To reduce risk, employers should clearly define managerial status in employment contracts, specify whether the employee is subject to the standard 40-hour week or to a specific working-time arrangement, and ensure that remuneration reflects any expected additional hours. Even where overtime premiums are not calculated hour by hour, courts may recharacterize arrangements if the employee’s schedule is excessive or if the flat-rate compensation is manifestly insufficient.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Senegal

For most private-sector employees in Senegal, statutory full-time work is based on a 40-hour week. Collective bargaining agreements or sectoral regulations may refine how these hours are distributed, for example by setting a standard 8-hour day over 5 days, or 6 shorter days including Saturday. Employers must set out the normal working schedule in internal rules, workplace postings, or written contracts so employees clearly understand their expected hours.

Any reduction or extension of working time should be managed through lawful mechanisms such as collective agreements, individual amendments, or temporary flexibility measures authorized by law. When planning staffing, employers should factor in public holidays, annual leave, and weekly rest so that average working time does not exceed legal thresholds over the relevant reference period.

Overtime Regulations In Senegal

What Counts As Overtime In Senegal?

In Senegal, overtime generally refers to any hours worked beyond the statutory 40-hour workweek or beyond the shorter weekly limit set by an applicable collective agreement or employment contract. If an employee’s normal schedule is 38 hours by agreement, hours between 38 and 40 may be treated as additional hours under the agreement, while hours above 40 are statutory overtime. Work performed on weekly rest days or public holidays is also typically treated as overtime or special work and attracts higher compensation.

Overtime must be expressly requested or authorized by the employer, either in advance or under a clear internal procedure. Employers should avoid relying on informal or unrecorded extra hours, as courts may still recognize them as compensable overtime if the employer knew or should have known that the work was being performed. Accurate timekeeping systems and written overtime policies are essential to demonstrate compliance.

Maximum Overtime In Senegal

Senegalese law sets limits on the amount of overtime that can be performed to protect employee health and safety. While specific caps can vary by sector and collective agreement, employers should ensure that overtime remains exceptional and does not become a permanent substitute for adequate staffing. Authorities may impose annual or weekly ceilings on overtime hours, and certain categories of workers, such as young employees, pregnant workers, or night workers, may be subject to stricter limits or outright prohibitions.

Before implementing regular overtime, employers should review any applicable collective bargaining agreements and, where required, seek authorization or notify the labor inspectorate. Scheduling systems should be designed so that employees still receive their daily and weekly rest periods, even when overtime is used to meet production peaks or seasonal demand.

Overtime Payout Rates In Senegal

Overtime in Senegal must be compensated at premium rates above the employee’s normal hourly wage. The exact percentages depend on when the overtime is worked and any applicable collective agreement. Typically, hours worked beyond the normal daily or weekly schedule on ordinary working days attract a lower premium, while overtime performed at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays is paid at significantly higher rates.

Employers should calculate the overtime rate based on the employee’s regular remuneration, including fixed salary components that are directly linked to work performed. Variable elements such as regular bonuses or allowances may also need to be included when determining the base for overtime calculations, depending on their nature and frequency. Payroll records must clearly show the number of overtime hours, the applicable premium rate, and the total overtime pay for each pay period.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Senegal

In Senegal, employees typically work around 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to ensure that this working time does not compromise health and safety. Employers must build meal breaks, daily rest, and weekly rest into work schedules so that employees have sufficient time to recover between shifts, with particular attention to those who work longer days, irregular hours, or night shifts.

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