Working hours, breaks and averaging of hours
Weekly and daily working time under the Labour Law, breaks, the weekly rest day, night work, averaging of hours and its periods, time counted as working time; sample schedules.
A well-designed working pattern reduces both overtime costs and inspection risk. This article summarises the legal framework in short sections with sample schedules.
Basic limits
| Subject | Rule |
|---|---|
| Weekly working time | At most 45 hours |
| Daily working time | At most 11 hours |
| Night work (20:00–06:00) | At most 7.5 hours |
| Weekly rest | At least 24 hours uninterrupted in each seven-day period |
Unless agreed otherwise, the 45 hours are distributed equally across the working days of the week.
Breaks
| Daily working time | Break (minimum) |
|---|---|
| 4 hours or less | 15 minutes |
| More than 4 hours, up to 7.5 hours | 30 minutes |
| More than 7.5 hours | 1 hour |
Breaks do not count as working time and are given at a reasonable point in the working day, according to the customs of the workplace and the needs of the work; they can be split.
Averaging of hours
If the parties agree, the weekly 45 hours can be distributed differently across the days of the week, and some weeks can exceed 45 hours. Conditions:
- Daily work must not exceed 11 hours.
- Over a two-month averaging period, the weekly average working time must not exceed 45 hours.
- By collective agreement the averaging period can be extended to four months, and to six months in tourism.
Example: two-month averaging (8 weeks)
| Week | Hours worked |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | 52 |
| Week 2 | 50 |
| Week 3 | 48 |
| Week 4 | 45 |
| Week 5 | 42 |
| Week 6 | 40 |
| Week 7 | 40 |
| Week 8 | 43 |
| Average | 45 |
In this pattern, the first week of 52 hours does not count as overtime because the eight-week average does not exceed 45 hours. If the average is exceeded, the excess is paid as overtime: Overtime pay
We recommend tying averaging to the employment contract or a separate written agreement and recording the start and end dates of the period and the weekly plans.
Time counted as working time
Some periods count as working time even if no actual work is done. Examples:
- Travel time underground in mines,
- Time spent travelling when the employer sends the employee to work somewhere else,
- Time the employee spends at the workplace waiting at the employer's disposal,
- Time spent while the employer transports employees from the workplace to another place by collective transport,
- Time given to nursing female employees to breastfeed their children: Maternity, nursing and paternity leave
Night work and shifts
- Night work cannot exceed 7.5 hours; in tourism, private security and health services this can be exceeded with the employee's consent.
- Employees working night and day shifts are rotated at most every two weeks.
- Employees working at night must undergo a medical examination before starting night work and at regular intervals.
Keeping records
Timesheets or electronic entry and exit records must be kept for working time. In overtime and averaging disputes, the employer's records are decisive. For working day calculations: Working days calculator
Our related service: Working hours and overtime
Legal basis: Labour Law No. 4857 arts. 63, 66, 68, 69 and 76; Regulation on Working Time under the Labour Law.