Working Hours and Overtime in Slovakia

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Slovakia?

An employee whose age is 16 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 9:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Slovakia

Under the Slovak Labour Code, the standard weekly working time for most full-time employees is 40 hours, usually spread over five working days. Daily working time is typically 8 hours, and you must schedule it so that employees do not exceed this limit on a regular basis. You may introduce uneven working time schedules, but the average must not exceed 40 hours over the applicable reference period.

For certain operations with continuous or multi-shift work, the statutory weekly limit may be reduced to 37.5 or 38.75 hours, depending on the type of shift pattern. You must clearly define the working time schedule in employment contracts or internal regulations and communicate it in advance. Employers are obliged to keep accurate working time records, including overtime, night work, and work on rest days.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In healthcare and continuous operations, shifts of up to 12 hours are permitted, provided that statutory rest periods are respected and average weekly limits are maintained. In transportation, EU rules on driving and rest times override general limits and require detailed tachograph or equivalent records.

• 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. You should use working time accounts or reference periods of up to four months, or longer where allowed by collective agreement, to balance peak and low-demand periods. Any derogations must still comply with minimum daily and weekly rest.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial employees in Slovakia may have broader flexibility in scheduling, but they are not fully exempt from working time rules. The Labour Code allows certain managerial staff to agree to a higher level of responsibility for organizing their own working time, yet maximum limits and health and safety protections still apply. You must clearly define in the employment contract whether the employee is a managerial employee and what specific working time arrangements apply.

Even for managers, you must respect minimum daily and weekly rest and keep records sufficient to demonstrate compliance. If managerial employees perform work beyond their agreed working time, they may still be entitled to overtime pay or time off in lieu unless a lawful and explicit agreement provides otherwise. Broad waivers of statutory protections are not enforceable.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Slovakia

Statutory full-time work in Slovakia is generally 40 hours per week for single-shift operations. For two-shift and three-shift or continuous operations, full-time weekly limits are typically 38.75 hours and 37.5 hours respectively, reflecting the higher strain of such schedules. You must classify the operation correctly and apply the corresponding statutory limit.

Part-time work is any agreed working time below the applicable full-time limit, and part-time employees must receive pro-rated pay and benefits. Flexible arrangements such as compressed weeks, flexible start and end times, or working time accounts are permitted if they respect average weekly limits and rest periods. All such arrangements should be documented in writing to reduce compliance risk.

Overtime Regulations In Slovakia

As an employer in Slovakia, you may require overtime only in accordance with the Labour Code and subject to clear limits and employee protections. You must keep precise records of all hours worked beyond the agreed weekly working time, including work at night, on weekends, and on public holidays. Failure to document and compensate overtime correctly can lead to back-pay claims, administrative fines, and reputational risk.

What Counts As Overtime In Slovakia?

Overtime in Slovakia is any work performed at your instruction beyond the employee’s agreed weekly working time, typically beyond 40 hours per week or the lower statutory limit for multi-shift operations. Work performed on an employee’s scheduled rest day, such as Sunday or a weekly rest day, also counts as overtime if it exceeds the weekly limit. Work on public holidays is treated as overtime when it is performed in addition to the employee’s normal schedule.

Overtime must generally be ordered or at least approved by you as the employer, either in advance or by clear subsequent acknowledgment. You should have internal rules specifying who may authorize overtime and how it is recorded to avoid disputes. Unauthorized overtime that you knowingly accept in practice may still be deemed compensable.

Maximum Overtime In Slovakia

In Slovakia, you may generally order up to 150 hours of overtime per employee per calendar year. With the employee’s written consent, you may increase this by an additional 250 hours per year, bringing the total possible overtime to 400 hours annually. On average, overtime should not cause the employee’s weekly working time to exceed 48 hours over the applicable reference period, in line with EU rules.

For certain categories of employees, such as pregnant workers, minors, and some carers, overtime is prohibited or significantly restricted. You must monitor cumulative overtime to ensure that neither the annual caps nor the 48-hour weekly average are exceeded. Collective agreements may refine how overtime is scheduled but cannot lawfully remove statutory protections.

Overtime Payout Rates In Slovakia

Overtime work in Slovakia must be compensated with at least the employee’s normal hourly wage plus a premium of at least 25% of average earnings, meaning a minimum of 125% of the regular rate. If overtime is worked at night, the employee is entitled both to the overtime premium and to the night work premium of at least 40% of the minimum hourly wage, which in practice increases total pay above 125%. You may agree with the employee to provide time off in lieu at a 1:1 ratio instead of the 25% cash premium, but the basic wage for the overtime hours must still be paid.

For work on Saturdays, employees are entitled to a premium of at least 50% of the minimum hourly wage in addition to their regular pay, and for work on Sundays the premium is at least 100% of the minimum hourly wage. Work on public holidays must be compensated with at least 100% of the employee’s average earnings on top of normal pay, effectively 200% of the regular rate. Collective agreements or internal policies may grant higher premiums, such as 150% or 200% for certain overtime or weekend hours, but never less than these statutory minimums.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Slovakia

In Slovakia, employees typically work 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and the Labour Code links specific rest periods and breaks to these standard hours. Employees working more than 6 hours in a shift must receive a meal break, and daily and weekly rest periods are designed to protect health and safety. When you introduce flexible or uneven schedules, you must still ensure that these statutory rest entitlements are met in relation to the actual hours worked.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 hours in a day must receive a meal break of at least 30 minutes, which is usually unpaid and scheduled so it does not fall at the very beginning or end of the shift.
• Daily Rest: Employees are entitled to an uninterrupted daily rest period of at least 11 consecutive hours within each 24-hour period, which may be reduced to 8 hours in specific operations if compensated later.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 hours of uninterrupted weekly rest, usually connected with the 11-hour daily rest to provide at least 35 consecutive hours, typically including Sunday.
• Minors: Employees under 18 are entitled to a longer daily rest of at least 12 consecutive hours and cannot work such long shifts or night hours as adults, and they must receive a break after 4.5 hours of work.
• Employer Duty: You are responsible for scheduling and documenting breaks and rest periods, and labour inspectors may impose fines if rest rules are breached or records are incomplete.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Slovakia

Night and weekend work are legal in Slovakia but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must carefully manage scheduling, health and safety, and premium pay to comply with the Labour Code. Particular attention is required for vulnerable groups such as pregnant employees and minors.

Night work in Slovakia is generally defined as work performed between 22:00 and 6:00, and an employee is considered a night worker if they regularly perform at least 3 hours of work during this period or if night work forms a substantial part of their working time. This definition applies across most roles, including manufacturing, healthcare, security, and services, unless specific sectoral rules provide otherwise. You must identify night workers in your records and apply the relevant protections and premiums.

• Premium Pay: Regular night work must be compensated with a premium of at least 40% of the minimum hourly wage per hour in addition to the employee’s normal wage, and for particularly hazardous night work the premium is at least 50% of the minimum hourly wage.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers are entitled to health assessments before assignment and periodically thereafter, and you must adapt work or transfer the employee if medical findings show that night work endangers their health.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 are generally prohibited from night work, and pregnant or breastfeeding employees cannot be required to perform night work and must be transferred to day work or granted leave if necessary.

Weekend work, particularly on Sundays, is restricted and should generally be limited to operations where it is necessary, such as continuous production, healthcare, retail within legal limits, or emergency services. Employees working on Saturdays are entitled to a premium of at least 50% of the minimum hourly wage, while Sunday work attracts a premium of at least 100% of the minimum hourly wage, and work on public holidays must be paid at least 200% of the regular rate or combined normal pay plus a 100% premium.