Working Hours and Overtime in Slovakia

In Slovakia, 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 you plan workforce schedules through 2026, you should expect continued enforcement of EU-aligned working time rules, closer inspection of overtime and night-work practices, and growing expectations around employee wellbeing. This means documenting working patterns, tracking hours accurately, and ensuring that your internal policies on flexible work, shift work, and remote work still respect statutory limits on working time and rest. Proactive compliance – including regular audits of time records and payroll calculations – will help you avoid disputes, back-pay claims, and administrative penalties.

• 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 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 Slovak labour law, the standard weekly working time for full-time employees is generally 40 hours, usually spread over five working days. Daily working time is typically 8 hours, and you should schedule work so that employees do not exceed these limits on a regular basis. Shorter statutory weekly limits apply in certain operations – for example, 37.5 hours per week for employees working in multi-shift or continuous operations, and 38.75 hours per week for two-shift operations. You must define working time clearly in employment contracts or internal regulations and monitor actual hours worked through reliable timekeeping systems.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Continuous Operation And Shift-Based Manufacturing
• Healthcare And Emergency Services
• Transport, Logistics And Mobile Workers
• Retail, Hospitality And Tourism
• Seasonal Agricultural Work

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Managers and senior employees in Slovakia are generally subject to the same statutory working time framework as other employees, but the Labour Code allows some flexibility. For certain top managerial positions, you may agree on a broader scope of working time responsibilities, including irregular hours, provided that the agreement is in writing and the employee receives appropriate remuneration that reflects this wider availability. However, you cannot fully contract out of core protections – maximum weekly limits, minimum rest periods, and health and safety obligations still apply. When designing packages for managers, you should clearly distinguish between standard working hours, expected availability, and any overtime or flat-rate compensation for work beyond the normal schedule.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Slovakia

Statutory full-time work in Slovakia is based on a 40-hour week for most employees, with proportionally reduced limits in specific operations such as multi-shift or continuous work. You may agree on shorter working hours as a company standard or for specific roles, but you cannot exceed the statutory maximums without triggering overtime rules. Part-time employees work fewer hours than the statutory full-time schedule, and their entitlements – including leave, overtime thresholds, and benefits – are generally pro-rated according to their agreed working time. Clearly documenting whether an employee is full-time or part-time, and the exact weekly and daily hours, is essential for compliance and for correctly applying overtime and rest-period rules.

Overtime Regulations In Slovakia

What Counts As Overtime In Slovakia?

In Slovakia, overtime is any work performed at the employer’s instruction or with the employer’s consent that exceeds the employee’s agreed weekly working time, typically 40 hours per week for full-time staff, or that exceeds the standard daily schedule set in the work timetable. Overtime can also arise when employees are asked to work on days that are normally their rest days, such as weekends or public holidays, or when they are required to extend a shift beyond the planned end time. You should ensure that overtime is explicitly ordered or at least clearly approved in advance, and that you keep accurate records of all overtime hours, including night work and work on public holidays, to demonstrate compliance and to calculate the correct pay or time off in lieu.

Maximum Overtime In Slovakia

Slovak law sets strict limits on how much overtime you may require from employees. As a rule, you can order up to 150 hours of overtime per employee per calendar year. With the employee’s written consent, this limit can be increased, but the total overtime – both ordered and agreed – must not exceed 400 hours per year. On a weekly basis, average working time including overtime must not exceed 48 hours over the applicable reference period, in line with EU working time rules. Certain categories of employees, such as pregnant employees, some parents of young children, and minors, are subject to tighter restrictions or may not be required to perform overtime at all. You should implement internal approval workflows to ensure that overtime remains within these statutory caps.

Overtime Payout Rates In Slovakia

Overtime work in Slovakia must be compensated either by a wage supplement on top of the employee’s regular hourly wage or by equivalent time off in lieu, if the employee agrees. The minimum statutory supplement for overtime is generally at least 25% of the employee’s average earnings, and at least 35% for overtime performed in particularly demanding conditions, such as certain hazardous environments. Work on public holidays and on rest days usually attracts higher supplements, which may be cumulative with overtime premiums depending on the circumstances. Night-time overtime also triggers additional night-work supplements. You should define in your internal policies whether you will primarily use monetary supplements or time off in lieu, ensure that your payroll system correctly applies the relevant percentages, and clearly communicate overtime rates and calculation methods in employment contracts or employee handbooks.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Slovakia

In Slovakia, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and the Labour Code links specific rest-period and break entitlements to these standard working hours. When you schedule work, you must build in meal and rest breaks once an employee works more than 6 hours in a day, ensure that each employee receives uninterrupted daily rest between shifts, and provide weekly rest days so that total working time – including overtime – does not compromise health and safety. These protections apply to both full-time and part-time staff, with additional safeguards for minors and night workers.

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