The work schedule does not exceed 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. These are the normal limits of the Labor Code, within which the employer organizes the work as needed. Start and end times are set by the internal regulations, while any hour over the normal limit is considered overtime and is paid at a premium rate.
This page shows what counts as working time, what the daily and weekly limits are, how shift work operates, and which breaks are mandatory.
Read also: Schedule, breaks and leaves: the complete guide
Article 76 defines working time as the time during which the employee is available to the employer. This also includes time for professional training authorized by the employer.
Break time, during which the employee is not available, is not included. Nor is the time required to get to and from the workplace.
| Border | Mass | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Normal daily duration | No more than 8 hours | 78/1 |
| Normal weekly duration | No more than 40 hours | 83 |
| Employees under 18 years old | No more than 6 hours a day | 78/3 |
| Day off | At least 11 hours without interruption | 78/4 |
| Weekly break | No fewer than 36 hours, of which 24 are uninterrupted. | 85 |
Article 77 measures the workday from 0:00 to 24:00 on the same day. Article 82 measures the week from 0:00 on Monday to 24:00 on Sunday.
This has practical importance for shift work. A shift that starts at 10 PM on Sunday and ends at 6 AM on Monday is split between two weeks, not between two workdays.
Read also: Mandatory elements of the contract, where the schedule is written.
The law sets the limit, not the exact schedule. It is divided among three documents.
Article 79, paragraph 1, is explicit. The starting and ending times of work are determined by the internal regulations, within the limits provided by law.
Article 79, paragraph 2, establishes the timing and duration of daily breaks in the collective bargaining agreement or in the individual employment contract.
Weekly normal working time is a mandatory element of the contract under Article 21(3)(f). If it is not specified, the statutory limit of 40 hours applies.
Article 79(1) defines shift work as work performed by employees who succeed one another in the same workplace, in a prescribed order, at different times.
The limits do not change. Eight hours a day, forty hours a week, eleven hours of rest between two shifts, and thirty-six hours of weekly rest.
A bar and restaurant operates in two shifts. The first shift runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the second from 4 p.m. to midnight. An employee who finishes at midnight cannot start again at 8 a.m. the next day, because there are only eight hours between them. Article 78, paragraph 4, requires at least eleven.
The code does not specify a notice period for the shift schedule. In practice, it is set out in the internal regulations and announced at least one week in advance, because a sudden change of shift affects break time and is easily challenged.
Read also: Internal Regulations and Work Schedule
Article 80 defines night work as work performed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. It may not exceed eight consecutive hours and must be immediately preceded or followed by the daily rest period.
There are two Article 81 supplements, and they are often confused. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., a supplement of no less than 20 percent. From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., a supplement of no less than 50 percent.
These supplements also apply when the work is within normal working hours. It is not required that the hour be overtime; it is enough that it falls within the interval.
Read also: Overtime, night, and holiday supplements
Article 88 defines overtime as any hour of work performed beyond the normal daily working time or the maximum weekly working time.
Article 90 establishes three limits. The maximum number is set in the collective or individual contract. Overtime is not required when the employee has already worked 50 hours in that week. In cases of force majeure or urgent work, authorization is granted by the Labor Inspectorate.
The payment is at least 25 percent above the regular rate, and at least 50 percent when overtime hours are worked on a weekly day off or a public holiday.
Note: The internal regulations cannot designate 10 hours a day as the regular workday. They only spread eight hours over the course of the day. Any hour beyond eight is considered overtime and is calculated as such, even if the employee agrees in writing.
Three breaks are mandatory and cannot be compensated with pay.
Article 84 allows the Council of Ministers to set a reduced weekly working time for jobs that are arduous or harmful to health.
Read also: Annual leave: 22 working days per year
No more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, in accordance with Articles 78 and 83 of the Labor Code.
No. Article 76 excludes break time during which the employee is not at the employer's disposal.
No. Article 76, paragraph 2, explicitly excludes it. Exemptions are regulated by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
At least 11 hours without interruption, according to Article 78, paragraph 4.
Yes, but any hours worked beyond eight are overtime and must be paid at no less than a 25 percent premium. They do not become part of the regular schedule by agreement.
The internal regulations, within the legal limits, pursuant to Article 79, paragraph 1.
No fewer than 36 hours, of which 24 are uninterrupted, and it includes Sunday. It is not payable.
They cannot be requested once the employee has already worked 50 hours that week, according to Article 90.
Read also: Contributions and wage cap from January 2026
