Working Hours and Overtime in Uruguay

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Uruguay?

An employee whose age is 18 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 44 hours per week in commerce and 48 hours per week in industry. 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 Uruguay

Uruguayan law generally limits the working day in industry to 8 hours and the working week to 48 hours, while commerce and office activities are capped at 44 hours per week. These limits are usually distributed over 6 days, with a maximum of 8 hours per day in most sectors. Any work beyond these thresholds is treated as overtime and must be compensated at statutory premium rates.

Collective bargaining agreements may set lower daily or weekly limits or introduce compressed workweeks, but they cannot lawfully exceed the statutory caps. As an employer, you must clearly define the normal working schedule in the employment contract and keep accurate time records for each employee. Failure to respect daily and weekly limits can trigger inspections, fines, and back‑pay obligations.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In healthcare and certain continuous‑process industries, shifts of up to 12 hours can be organized, provided that equivalent compensatory rest and statutory weekly limits are respected. Hospitality and retail employers often rely on split shifts and extended evening hours, but they must still comply with daily rest and overtime pay rules.

• 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 also verify whether any sectoral collective agreement imposes stricter limits or additional premiums for irregular schedules.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial staff and employees in positions of trust may be excluded from strict hour‑by‑hour control, but they are not automatically exempt from all working‑time protections. In practice, Uruguay treats many managers as having broader availability, yet courts will look at the reality of the role, level of autonomy, and pay structure when assessing claims. If a so‑called exempt employee is in fact closely supervised and required to clock in and out, overtime claims may still arise.

Employment contracts for managerial and highly qualified staff should clearly describe their responsibilities, expected availability, and whether their salary is deemed to cover a reasonable amount of additional hours. However, you should avoid building in unlimited hours and should monitor workloads to prevent health and safety risks. Transparent documentation and realistic expectations reduce the risk of disputes over unpaid overtime.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Uruguay

Full‑time work in Uruguay is generally understood as 44 hours per week in commerce and services and 48 hours per week in industry, spread over up to 6 days. Many employers, especially in professional services, voluntarily adopt a 40‑ or 44‑hour week to remain competitive and support work‑life balance. Part‑time arrangements below these thresholds are lawful if they are clearly documented and do not circumvent social security obligations.

When you define full‑time hours in contracts or policies, you should specify the weekly total, daily schedule, and any flexibility bands. Changes to full‑time schedules normally require employee consent or collective bargaining, particularly if they reduce pay or significantly alter working patterns. Maintaining consistent definitions across contracts, payroll, and internal systems helps ensure compliance and avoid misclassification issues.

Overtime Regulations In Uruguay

Overtime in Uruguay must be carefully controlled, recorded, and compensated at legally mandated premium rates of at least 150% to 200% of the normal hourly wage. Employers are required to keep reliable time records showing start and end times, breaks, and total daily hours for each employee. Non‑compliance can lead to back‑pay awards, surcharges, and administrative fines following inspections by the labor authority.

What Counts As Overtime In Uruguay?

Overtime is generally any time worked beyond the statutory weekly limits of 44 hours in commerce and 48 hours in industry, or beyond the agreed lower weekly limit in the contract or collective agreement. Work performed beyond the usual daily schedule, even if the weekly cap is not exceeded, may also be treated as overtime if it is requested or tolerated by the employer. Employers should avoid informal practices where employees stay late without explicit authorization, as those hours can still be claimed as payable overtime.

Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day, typically Sunday, is treated as overtime and must be paid at a higher premium, commonly 200% (2.0x) of the normal rate. Work on public holidays is also considered overtime and is usually paid at 200% (2.0x) of the base hourly wage. You should define in writing how overtime is requested, approved, and recorded to ensure only authorized overtime is incurred.

Maximum Overtime In Uruguay

Uruguayan practice, based on labor regulations and collective agreements, generally limits overtime to a maximum of 2 hours per day and 8 hours per week for most employees. This means that, in a standard industrial schedule of 8 hours per day, an employee should not exceed 10 hours of work on any given day. Over a week, total hours including overtime should not normally exceed 56 hours in industry or 52 hours in commerce.

Across longer reference periods, many agreements cap overtime at around 100 to 150 hours per year, and exceeding these levels typically requires prior authorization from the labor authority or union consultation. You should implement internal controls that block overtime once an employee approaches 8 overtime hours in a week or the agreed annual ceiling. If exceptional circumstances require more overtime, document the justification, obtain any necessary approvals, and ensure rest and safety rules are still respected.

Overtime Payout Rates In Uruguay

In Uruguay, standard overtime worked on ordinary working days is generally paid at 150% (1.5x) of the employee’s regular hourly wage. This 50% premium applies once the employee exceeds the statutory or contractually agreed weekly limit, such as 44 or 48 hours, or works beyond the normal daily schedule. The calculation is based on the normal hourly rate, which is derived from the monthly salary divided by the legal or agreed monthly hours.

Overtime worked on the weekly rest day or on a public holiday is usually paid at 200% (2.0x) of the regular hourly wage, reflecting a 100% premium. Some collective agreements may grant even higher rates, such as 250% (2.5x), for specific holidays or critical roles, and these higher rates must be honored once agreed. You should ensure your payroll system is configured to apply at least 150% for weekday overtime and 200% for Sunday and public holiday work, and to itemize these payments clearly on payslips.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Uruguay

In Uruguay, employees commonly work up to 8 hours per day and 44 to 48 hours per week, and rest periods and breaks are designed to protect health and safety within these limits. Daily work beyond 6 hours must be interrupted by a meal break, and employees are also entitled to daily and weekly rest away from work. As an employer, you must structure schedules so that these breaks are effectively granted and not merely theoretical.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 consecutive hours must receive at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break, and many collective agreements extend this to 1 hour in practice.
• Daily Rest: Workers are generally entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next, and schedules should be built to avoid split shifts that undermine this rest.
• Weekly Rest: Employees must receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, typically on Sunday, and if they work on that day they must receive a substitute rest day plus premium pay.
• Minors: Workers under 18 are limited to 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week and must receive longer rest periods and stricter protection against night work and split shifts.
• Employer Duty: Employers must organize work so that statutory breaks and rest periods are actually taken, record them where required, and ensure that operational targets do not pressure staff to skip breaks.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Uruguay

Night and weekend work are legal in Uruguay but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must pay attention to premium pay rules, health and safety obligations, and restrictions for vulnerable groups. Proper planning and documentation are essential to avoid disputes and sanctions.

Night work in Uruguay is generally understood as work performed between 22:00 and 6:00, although some collective agreements may define a slightly different window. This definition applies across most roles, including industry, services, and hospitality, whenever a substantial part of the shift falls within these hours. You should clearly identify which employees are night workers and reflect this status in contracts and schedules.

• Premium Pay: While there is no universal statutory night work premium in Uruguay, many sectoral agreements grant a night supplement of around 20% to 30% (1.2x to 1.3x) of the base hourly wage, and these negotiated rates are binding once applicable.
• Health Monitoring: Regular night workers should receive periodic health assessments focused on fatigue, sleep disorders, and cardiovascular risks, and you should adjust schedules or reassign staff if medical advice indicates that night work is unsuitable.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 are generally prohibited from night work, and pregnant workers should be reassigned away from night shifts or heavy night duties where medical or occupational health guidance indicates a risk.

Weekend work, particularly on Sundays, is treated as work on the weekly rest day and is therefore subject to both compensatory rest and premium pay obligations. Employees who work on Sunday typically receive a substitute rest day during the week plus pay at 200% (2.0x) of the normal hourly rate, and collective agreements may provide even higher premiums for certain roles or continuous‑operation services.