Compensation

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-09

Overtime Compensation

An employee’s normal working hours are set out in the employment contract. An employer may not require or permit any employee, other than a guard or others specified, to work for more than 48 hours during a week, excluding overtime. The Minister for Labour may not require or permit a shift worker to work more than 8 hours a day. For other employees, the daily hour limit is 12 hours for 5-day work week and eight hours for a six-day work week.

The temporary exemption from normal working hour limits can be granted in the following cases:

(a) in case of actual or imminent accident,  force majeure or the need for urgent work to premises or equipment, which is necessary to avoid serious interference with the ordinary working of the undertaking;

(b) in the event of abnormal pressure of work due to special circumstances, where the employer cannot ordinarily be expected to resort to other measures; and

(c) in order to prevent loss of perishable goods.

A worker must be compensated for each hour of overtime with compensatory rest (of at least equivalent hours) and premium pay for overtime hours. The ordinary overtime is the time worked on a working day in excess of the hours normally worked by the employee in the undertaking. For overtime hours, a worker is paid at 150% of the normal hourly wage rate.

Source: §36-39 of the Employment Act (No. 6 of 2000), last amended in 2021

Night Work Compensation

No provisions relating to night work or the compensation offered for it could be identified within the law.

Compensatory Holidays / Rest Days

Employment Act provides for a compensator rest day when a worker has to work overtime on a working day or weekly rest day or a public holiday.

Source: §36 of the Employment Act (No. 6 of 2000), last amended in 2021

Weekend / Public Holiday Work Compensation

Employment Act provides for premium pay for those working on weekly rest days and public holidays. Workers are paid at twice the rate (200% of the normal hourly wage rate) for working on a weekly rest day and a public holiday.

Source: §39 of the Employment Act (No. 6 of 2000), last amended in 2021

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