Working Hours and Overtime in Somalia

In Somalia, 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, employers should expect closer scrutiny of working-time practices, stronger enforcement of rest and overtime protections, and potential updates to sector-specific rules. Proactive compliance – through clear policies, accurate timekeeping, and fair compensation – will help you avoid disputes, inspections, and reputational damage while supporting productivity 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 Somalia?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. An employee whose age is 16 or older is allowed to work 48 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 30 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 16:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Somalia

Somalia’s labour framework is based on a standard full-time schedule of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult employees. These limits are designed to protect employee health and safety while still allowing employers to organize work efficiently. In practice, many employers operate a 6-day workweek of 8 hours per day, or a 5-day workweek with slightly longer daily hours, provided the weekly total does not exceed 48 hours and daily limits and rest requirements are respected.

Any hours worked beyond the agreed normal daily or weekly schedule should be treated as overtime and must comply with statutory caps and compensation rules. Employers should clearly define normal working hours in employment contracts or internal policies, including start and end times, breaks, and any shift patterns, to avoid disputes and ensure transparency.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Emergency And Essential Services
• Healthcare And Hospital Operations
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance
• Hospitality, Hotels, And Restaurants
• Transport, Logistics, And Port Operations
• Agriculture, Fisheries, And Seasonal Work
• Continuous Process Manufacturing

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and employees in positions of trust often have greater flexibility in their schedules and may not be subject to the same strict hour-by-hour tracking as rank-and-file staff. However, Somali labour principles still expect employers to prevent excessive working hours that could endanger health or constitute abuse, even for high-level staff. Employers should define in writing whether a role is managerial or exempt, clarify expectations around availability and additional hours, and ensure that workloads are realistic.

Where managers are formally excluded from overtime pay, this should be clearly stated in the employment contract and aligned with local legal advice. Employers should also consider providing compensatory time off, flexible scheduling, or other benefits to recognize extended working hours for managerial employees and to reduce burnout risk.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Somalia

For most sectors in Somalia, statutory full-time employment is based on 48 hours per week for adult workers. This is typically structured as 8 hours per day over 6 days, or an equivalent arrangement that does not exceed the weekly maximum and respects daily rest and break rules. Part-time employees work fewer hours than this benchmark and should have their entitlements – such as leave and overtime thresholds – pro-rated according to their contracted hours.

Employers should document standard hours in contracts, staff handbooks, and timekeeping systems, and ensure that any deviations – such as compressed workweeks, rotating shifts, or seasonal peaks – remain within legal limits. Transparent scheduling, advance notice of changes, and accurate time records are essential to demonstrate compliance in Somalia.

Overtime Regulations In Somalia

What Counts As Overtime In Somalia?

In Somalia, overtime generally refers to any time an employee works beyond the normal daily or weekly hours agreed in the employment contract, provided those normal hours do not exceed the statutory standard of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adults. Work performed outside the employee’s scheduled shift, work performed on weekly rest days, and work performed on public holidays will typically qualify as overtime and must be compensated at enhanced rates or with equivalent time off, depending on the agreement and applicable law.

To avoid disputes, employers should define in writing what constitutes normal hours, how overtime is requested and approved, and how it is recorded and paid. Overtime should be pre-authorized by a supervisor, and employees should not be encouraged to work unrecorded extra hours. Clear policies and reliable timekeeping systems are critical to demonstrate that all overtime in Somalia is voluntary, accurately tracked, and properly compensated.

Maximum Overtime In Somalia

Somali labour standards aim to limit excessive overtime to protect employee health and safety. While specific numeric caps may vary by sector or future regulations, a common benchmark is that overtime should not cause total working time to exceed an average of 56–60 hours per week over a short reference period, and should not be used as a permanent way to staff regular operations. Employers should avoid scheduling more than 2–4 hours of overtime per day and should ensure that employees still receive their required daily and weekly rest.

Employers are responsible for monitoring cumulative overtime, identifying employees who are consistently working long hours, and adjusting staffing levels or shift patterns accordingly. For vulnerable groups – such as young workers, pregnant employees, or those in hazardous roles – overtime may be restricted or prohibited altogether. Before implementing regular overtime, employers in Somalia should seek local legal advice and, where applicable, consult with employee representatives.

Overtime Payout Rates In Somalia

Overtime in Somalia is generally expected to be compensated at a premium above the employee’s normal hourly rate. A common approach is to pay at least 125% of the regular rate for overtime worked on normal working days, and higher premiums – for example 150% or 200% – for overtime worked at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays. Where collective agreements or company policies provide more generous rates, those higher standards will apply.

Employers should calculate the regular hourly rate by dividing the employee’s basic salary by the number of normal working hours in the pay period, then apply the appropriate overtime multiplier. All overtime payments should be itemized clearly on payslips, and records of hours worked should be retained for audit and inspection purposes. If employers choose to grant time off in lieu instead of cash payment, the time off should be at least equivalent in value to the overtime premium and should be taken within a reasonable period, with the employee’s agreement.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Somalia

In Somalia, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and rest periods and breaks are designed to ensure that these hours are not worked continuously without adequate recovery time. Employers must provide at least a 30-minute meal break when an employee works more than 5 consecutive hours, and must organize schedules so that employees receive sufficient daily and weekly rest between shifts. Properly structured breaks reduce fatigue, improve safety, and help employers maintain compliance with working-time rules.

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