Working Hours and Overtime in The Czech Republic

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Czechia?

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 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 Czechia

Under the Labour Code, standard working time for full-time employees in Czechia is 40 hours per week, usually spread over five working days. Daily working time is commonly scheduled at 8 hours per day, and employers must organize shifts so that this limit is respected on average over the applicable scheduling period. Collective agreements or internal regulations may refine how working hours are distributed, but they cannot exceed statutory limits.

Employers must prepare written work schedules and inform employees of their shifts at least one week in advance, unless a shorter period is agreed. Any work beyond the scheduled weekly working time is generally treated as overtime and must comply with overtime caps and pay rules. Employers are also required to keep accurate records of working time for each employee to demonstrate compliance to labour inspectors.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules that allow for uneven distribution of working hours. In such cases, weekly working time can be averaged over a reference period, typically up to 26 weeks, or up to 52 weeks if agreed in a collective agreement. This enables longer shifts in peak periods, provided the average weekly limit is not exceeded.

• 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. Employers should document the chosen reference period and the distribution of hours, and they must still comply with mandatory daily and weekly rest. Failure to respect averaging rules can lead to findings of illegal overtime.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

In Czechia, senior managerial employees may agree in writing that their salary already includes overtime work up to a certain limit. For regular managers, this inclusion can cover up to 150 hours of overtime per calendar year, while for top executives it can cover all overtime, provided the agreement is explicit. Even when overtime is included in salary, employers must still respect maximum working time and rest-period rules.

Managers are not fully exempt from working-time protections and cannot waive statutory health and safety limits. Employment contracts should clearly define expected working hours, on-call duties, and any overtime-included arrangements. Transparent documentation helps avoid disputes over unpaid overtime and supports compliance during inspections.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Czechia

Statutory full-time work in Czechia is generally 40 hours per week for standard workplaces. For employees working in two-shift operations, full-time hours are typically reduced to 38.75 hours per week, and for three-shift or continuous operations, they are reduced to 37.5 hours per week. These reduced limits reflect the higher strain of shift work.

Part-time arrangements are permitted and must be agreed in writing, specifying the shorter weekly working time. Employers should ensure that part-time employees are not regularly scheduled beyond their agreed hours without proper overtime treatment. Any variation from standard full-time hours should be supported by internal policies and clear communication to staff.

Overtime Regulations In Czechia

Overtime in Czechia is tightly regulated, and employers must only require it in exceptional or serious operational needs. You are obliged to track all hours worked, distinguish overtime from regular hours, and retain records for potential labour inspections. Non-compliance with overtime rules can result in back-pay liabilities, administrative fines, and reputational damage.

What Counts As Overtime In Czechia?

Overtime in Czechia is generally any work performed at the employer’s instruction or with their consent beyond the employee’s scheduled weekly working time, typically above 40 hours per week for full-time staff. Work performed beyond the agreed shorter weekly limit for part-time employees is also treated as overtime once it exceeds their contractual hours. Work on public holidays or on days of weekly rest can qualify as overtime if it exceeds the employee’s normal schedule.

On-call time that is actually spent performing work is counted as working time and may generate overtime if it exceeds scheduled hours. Employers should issue clear written instructions on when overtime is authorized and how employees should record it. Without such controls, you risk disputes over whether additional hours were implicitly approved.

Maximum Overtime In Czechia

The Labour Code limits ordered overtime in Czechia to a maximum of 8 hours per week and 150 hours per calendar year per employee. Additional overtime beyond 150 hours per year is only permissible with the employee’s consent, typically documented in writing. Even with consent, total overtime must not exceed an overall cap of 416 hours per calendar year, combining ordered and agreed overtime.

When using uneven distribution or shift systems, employers must still ensure that average weekly working time, including overtime, does not exceed 48 hours over the applicable reference period. You should monitor overtime at both weekly and annual levels to avoid breaching these caps. Systematic reliance on overtime may be viewed by inspectors as poor workforce planning and can trigger closer scrutiny.

Overtime Payout Rates In Czechia

In Czechia, overtime must be compensated either by a wage supplement or by time off in lieu, unless overtime is validly included in the salary for certain managers. The statutory minimum supplement for regular overtime is at least 25% of the employee’s average earnings, meaning overtime is paid at 125% of normal pay if no time off is granted. If compensatory time off is provided instead, it must be granted in the same duration as the overtime worked, and the employee then receives only their normal wage for the period worked.

For work on public holidays, employees are entitled to their normal wage plus a supplement of at least 100% of average earnings, effectively 200% pay, unless they receive a substitute day off instead of the supplement. Work on Saturdays and Sundays is subject to a minimum supplement of 10% of average earnings, so weekend overtime is paid at least 110% of normal pay in addition to any overtime supplement if applicable. Employers should reflect these numerical rates in payroll systems and collective agreements to ensure accurate and timely payment.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Czechia

Employees in Czechia typically work up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect their health within this framework. The Labour Code requires employers to provide meal and rest breaks during the working day, as well as minimum daily and weekly rest between shifts. These rules apply regardless of whether you use standard or uneven distribution of working hours.

• Meal Break: Employees must receive an uninterrupted meal and rest break of at least 30 minutes if their shift exceeds 6 hours, and minors receive this break after no more than 4.5 hours of work.
• Daily Rest: Employees are entitled to a minimum uninterrupted daily rest of 11 hours within each 24-hour period, which may be reduced to 8 hours in certain operations if compensated later.
• Weekly Rest: Employers must provide at least 35 consecutive hours of weekly rest, usually including Sunday, and any exceptions must be balanced with substitute rest days.
• Minors: Workers under 18 benefit from longer daily rest of at least 12 consecutive hours and stricter limits on shift length and scheduling.
• Employer Duty: Employers must schedule and document breaks and rest periods, ensure they are actually taken, and adapt them to operational risks and shift patterns.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Czechia

Night and weekend work are legal in Czechia but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must carefully manage scheduling, health and safety, and premium payments when assigning staff to these shifts.

Night work in Czechia is defined as work performed between 22:00 and 6:00, and a night worker is generally someone who performs at least 3 hours of work during this period on most working days. These rules apply across roles, although certain vulnerable groups such as minors and pregnant employees face stricter limitations.

• Premium Pay: Employees performing night work are entitled to a wage supplement of at least 10% of their average hourly earnings for each hour worked at night, meaning night hours are paid at a minimum of 110% of normal pay unless a more favourable rate is agreed.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers must be offered initial and periodic medical examinations to assess fitness for night work, and employers should adjust duties or reassign employees if health issues are identified.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 are generally prohibited from night work, and pregnant or breastfeeding employees cannot be required to perform night shifts and must be transferred to daytime work upon request if possible.

Weekend work, including work on Sundays, is permitted in Czechia but should be limited to operational needs and organized so that employees still receive at least 35 consecutive hours of weekly rest. Work on Saturdays and Sundays attracts a statutory supplement of at least 10% of average earnings, and if weekend work coincides with overtime or public holidays, the relevant numerical supplements must be cumulated or replaced according to the Labour Code and any collective agreement.