Standard working hours typically span from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM or 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a customary unpaid lunch break of up to one hour.
Employees are generally expected to work 40 hours per week, amounting to 8 hours a day across 5 days.
Regarding overtime, working beyond 8 hours in a 24-hour period is not allowed, and the average weekly hours should not exceed 40 within a reference period of four months or less.
Employees can opt out of the 8-hour daily limit with a written request or by implementing a relevant working time system, subject to negotiation and inclusion in the employment contract. However, any extension of working hours must not infringe upon other labor law provisions, such as the right to daily and weekly rest, which will be discussed below.
Employees are eligible for overtime compensation, with a maximum limit of 150 hours per calendar year, unless specified otherwise by a collective bargaining agreement, employer regulations, or the employment contract, provided it doesn't exceed an average of 48 hours per week as per current EU legislation.
Additional supplements include 100% pay for night, Sunday, and bank holiday work, unless these are regular workdays or days off in lieu of Sundays or bank holidays worked; 50% of salary for overtime on other days; and 100% of salary for overtime hours exceeding the average weekly norm, unless covered by the previous two conditions.
Employers may opt to provide time off instead of pay for overtime, with each overtime hour equating to 1.5 hours of paid time off if initiated by the employer, or one hour of paid time off if requested by the employee.