Working Hours and Overtime in St. Vincent & Grenadines

In St. Vincent & Grenadines, 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 labour standards continue to evolve toward 2026, you should expect closer scrutiny of working-time records, overtime practices, and rest provisions, particularly in sectors with shift work or seasonal peaks. Establish clear written policies on standard hours, overtime authorization, and breaks; align contracts and rosters with those policies; and maintain accurate, auditable records for each employee. Proactive compliance will reduce the risk of disputes, inspections, and penalties while supporting retention and wellbeing.

• 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 St. Vincent & Grenadines?

An employee whose age is 14 or younger has a maximum of 4 hours per day and 20 hours per week. An employee whose age is 15 or older is allowed to work 40 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 8:00 to 16:00.

Maximum Working Hours In St. Vincent & Grenadines

In St. Vincent & Grenadines, the standard full-time workweek is generally treated as 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week for adult employees. You should structure work schedules so that ordinary hours do not routinely exceed this benchmark, except where a collective agreement, written contract, or specific sectoral rule provides otherwise. Any hours worked beyond the agreed normal daily or weekly schedule are typically regarded as overtime and should only be required when there is a genuine business need.

For young workers, you must apply stricter limits. Children under the minimum school-leaving age should not be employed in regular full-time work, and any light work permitted must be for substantially fewer hours than adults and must not interfere with schooling or health. As a best practice, keep minors at or below 4 hours per day and 20 hours per week, avoid night work, and ensure they are never scheduled for hazardous tasks.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Hospitality And Tourism Establishments
• Agriculture And Seasonal Crop Activities
• Security And Guarding Services
• Healthcare And Emergency Services
• Transportation And Port Operations

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers and certain professional or supervisory staff in St. Vincent & Grenadines are often engaged on a more flexible basis, where their remuneration is intended to cover a broader range of duties and hours. While these employees may not track every hour in the same way as hourly staff, you should still define expected working patterns in their contracts and avoid excessive hours that could raise health and safety or constructive dismissal risks. Clearly state whether their salary is deemed to compensate for reasonable additional hours and whether any overtime premium is excluded or limited, ensuring this is consistent with applicable labour standards and any collective agreements.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In St. Vincent & Grenadines

In practice, full-time employment in St. Vincent & Grenadines is commonly based on a 40-hour workweek, usually spread over five 8-hour days. Some employers may operate a 6-day schedule with shorter daily hours, provided the total weekly hours remain within legal and contractual limits and employees receive adequate weekly rest. You should document normal hours, start and finish times, and any shift patterns in the employment contract, and maintain accurate time records to demonstrate compliance with working-time and overtime rules.

Overtime Regulations In St. Vincent & Grenadines

What Counts As Overtime In St. Vincent & Grenadines?

Overtime in St. Vincent & Grenadines generally refers to any time an employee works beyond their normal contractual hours, typically more than 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week for full-time staff. You should define normal hours clearly in each contract or collective agreement so there is no ambiguity about when overtime begins. Work performed on public holidays, weekly rest days, or outside the usual shift pattern is also commonly treated as overtime, even if the total weekly hours remain within 40, and may attract higher premium rates.

Overtime should be requested or approved by you in advance wherever possible. Implement a written policy that explains when overtime is permitted, how it is authorized, and how it is compensated, and ensure supervisors follow it consistently. Keep detailed records of overtime hours worked, broken down by date, duration, and reason, so you can demonstrate compliance in the event of an inspection or dispute.

Maximum Overtime In St. Vincent & Grenadines

While St. Vincent & Grenadines does not publicize a single universal overtime cap for all sectors, you are expected to ensure that total working time, including overtime, remains reasonable and does not endanger employees’ health or safety. As a prudent benchmark, you should avoid scheduling more than 4 hours of overtime per day or more than 12–16 hours of overtime per week for any individual employee, and you should never allow total hours to exceed an average of 48–56 hours per week over a sustained period.

In sectors with peak seasons or emergency operations, you may occasionally need higher overtime levels, but these should be temporary, justified by operational necessity, and balanced with additional rest. Where a collective agreement or written policy sets stricter limits, those rules will apply. Always ensure that minors and pregnant workers are subject to tighter restrictions and are not pressured into long or irregular overtime.

Overtime Payout Rates In St. Vincent & Grenadines

Overtime work in St. Vincent & Grenadines is typically compensated at a premium above the employee’s normal hourly rate. A common approach is to pay at least 1.5 times the regular rate for overtime hours worked on ordinary working days and 2.0 times the regular rate for work performed on public holidays or designated weekly rest days. Where a collective agreement or company policy provides more generous rates, those terms will govern and should be clearly communicated to employees.

To calculate overtime pay, determine the employee’s basic hourly rate by dividing their weekly or monthly wage by the corresponding number of normal hours, then apply the relevant multiplier to each overtime hour. You should itemize overtime hours and pay separately on payslips, maintain supporting time records, and ensure that any time-off-in-lieu arrangements are documented, agreed in writing, and provide at least equivalent value to the overtime premium that would otherwise have been paid.

Rest Periods And Breaks In St. Vincent & Grenadines

In St. Vincent & Grenadines, employees typically work around 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and you must organize rest periods and breaks so that these hours do not compromise health, safety, or productivity; this includes providing at least a 60-minute meal break when an employee works more than 5 hours in a day, ensuring reasonable pauses during long shifts, and guaranteeing daily and weekly rest so that total working time, including overtime, remains sustainable.

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