Working Hours and Overtime in US Virgin Islands

In US Virgin Islands, 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 staffing and scheduling through 2026, you should expect continued enforcement of federal wage and hour rules, along with potential updates to federal overtime salary thresholds and guidance on recordkeeping and remote work. Proactive compliance – including accurate time tracking, clear overtime authorization procedures, and written policies on breaks and rest – will help you avoid costly disputes, back‑pay claims, and reputational damage while supporting a sustainable workload for your teams.

• 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 US Virgin Islands?

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 5 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Maximum Working Hours In US Virgin Islands

In US Virgin Islands, most nonexempt employees follow the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) standard of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per workweek as the benchmark for regular working time. Any hours worked beyond 40 in a fixed, recurring 7‑day workweek are generally treated as overtime. Employers should define the workweek in writing – for example, Sunday through Saturday – and apply it consistently across the organization.

While there is no separate local statute that sets a different daily maximum for adults, you should avoid scheduling excessively long shifts that could raise health and safety concerns or trigger scrutiny under occupational safety rules. For minors, stricter limits apply to daily and weekly hours, as well as to night work, and you should verify age‑specific restrictions before scheduling younger workers.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Hospital And Healthcare Facilities
• Hospitality, Tourism, And Resorts
• Retail And Grocery Operations
• Transportation And Port Services
• Public Safety And Emergency Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Many salaried managers and professionals in US Virgin Islands may qualify as exempt from federal overtime rules under the FLSA’s executive, administrative, or professional exemptions. To classify an employee as exempt, you must satisfy both the salary basis and duties tests – simply paying a salary is not enough. Exempt employees are not entitled to overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a week, but you should still manage their workloads to prevent burnout and maintain productivity.

Employers should maintain clear job descriptions, document exemption decisions, and periodically review roles to ensure they still meet exemption criteria. Misclassification can lead to significant back‑pay liability, including unpaid overtime, liquidated damages, and civil penalties.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In US Virgin Islands

For most purposes, full‑time employment in US Virgin Islands is aligned with the standard 40‑hour workweek. Many employers structure this as five 8‑hour days, typically Monday through Friday, but alternative schedules – such as four 10‑hour days – are permissible if they comply with overtime and rest requirements. Part‑time employees generally work fewer than 30–35 hours per week, depending on company policy, but they are still entitled to applicable wage and hour protections.

When designing work schedules, you should clearly define what your organization considers full‑time versus part‑time, communicate expectations in offer letters and handbooks, and ensure that benefit eligibility rules are applied consistently and in line with federal benefit and healthcare regulations.

Overtime Regulations In US Virgin Islands

What Counts As Overtime In US Virgin Islands?

In US Virgin Islands, overtime for most employees is governed by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Overtime is generally any time worked over 40 hours in a defined 7‑day workweek by a nonexempt employee. Paid but non‑worked time – such as holidays or vacation – does not have to be counted as hours worked for overtime purposes unless your company policy or a collective bargaining agreement states otherwise.

Overtime is calculated on a workweek basis, not by averaging hours over multiple weeks. Daily hours above 8 do not automatically trigger overtime under federal rules, although many employers choose to pay daily overtime as a matter of policy or under union agreements. You should ensure that all hours worked – including pre‑shift preparations, post‑shift duties, and certain on‑call time – are accurately recorded and included in overtime calculations.

Maximum Overtime In US Virgin Islands

There is no explicit statutory cap on the number of overtime hours an adult nonexempt employee may work in US Virgin Islands, but overtime must always be paid at the correct premium rate. Employers should implement internal limits on overtime to protect employee health and safety, manage labor costs, and reduce the risk of fatigue‑related incidents, especially in safety‑sensitive roles.

For minors and certain regulated industries, practical limits on overtime may arise from youth employment rules, safety regulations, or licensing requirements. You should also consider whether extended overtime could be viewed as evidence of understaffing or poor scheduling practices in the event of a complaint or investigation.

Overtime Payout Rates In US Virgin Islands

Under the FLSA, nonexempt employees in US Virgin Islands must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The regular rate includes not only the base hourly wage or salary equivalent, but also most nondiscretionary bonuses, shift differentials, and certain commissions. These amounts must be factored into the regular rate before applying the 1.5 multiplier.

Overtime must be paid in cash wages – compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay is generally not permitted in the private sector. Overtime earnings should appear clearly on pay statements, and you should maintain accurate time and payroll records for at least the minimum retention period required under federal law. Where company policies or collective bargaining agreements provide more generous overtime terms than the legal minimum, you must follow the more favorable standard for employees.

Rest Periods And Breaks In US Virgin Islands

Employees in US Virgin Islands commonly work around 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, and rest periods and breaks should be structured around these standard hours to support health, safety, and productivity. While federal law does not mandate specific short rest breaks for adults, employers that choose to provide them must treat short breaks as paid working time, and must also ensure that employees who work more than 5 hours in a day receive a reasonable meal period – typically at least 30 minutes – that is duty‑free and clearly scheduled within the workday.

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