Overtime Rules by Country
These pages set out, for each country, the point at which work becomes overtime, the rate it is paid at, the maximum weekly hours and the statutory rest breaks. Every figure names the law it comes from, and anything uncertain is left blank rather than guessed.
What each country page contains
One page per country, each answering the same four questions in the same order: after how many hours in a day does overtime begin, after how many hours in a week, what multiple of the regular rate is it paid at, and what maximum weekly hours and rest breaks apply. Keeping the structure identical is deliberate — it makes two countries directly comparable, which is the actual task when you employ people across borders or work with clients in several markets.
Each page opens with a single sentence that states the rule in plain language, so the answer is readable without scrolling and quotable without interpretation. Below it are the thresholds as figures, the break rules, and a link to the statute or the labour ministry page the row was taken from.
Where the numbers come from, and what is missing
Every row cites its source. Where a country's rule is genuinely uncertain, varies by collective agreement, or is set at sector level rather than nationally, the field is left empty and the page says so. An empty field is information; an invented number is a liability.
Several things are deliberately out of scope. Collective bargaining agreements routinely set stricter terms than statute, sector rules override general ones, and some regimes distinguish exempt from non-exempt staff in ways a single figure cannot capture. These pages give the statutory baseline, which is the starting point for a calculation, not the end of one.
Using the rules with the calculators
The same table drives the tools. Choose a country in the hours calculator or the timesheet and it applies that country's daily and weekly thresholds and multiplier, splitting overtime hours onto their own line and pricing them at the statutory rate instead of folding them into a flat total.
That is the practical value of having the rules as data rather than as prose: the page you read and the number the calculator produces come from one source, so they cannot disagree. If a threshold on a page looks wrong for your situation, the calculator lets you override it, and the page tells you which statute to check first.
Questions and answers
What counts as overtime?
In most countries, hours worked beyond a statutory daily limit, a weekly limit, or both. The thresholds differ widely, which is why each country has its own page rather than a single global rule.
Is overtime always paid at a higher rate?
No. Some countries mandate a premium rate, some allow compensating time off instead, and some leave the rate to collective agreement. Each country page states which applies and cites the source.
Do these pages apply to contractors and self-employed people?
Generally not. Statutory overtime rules normally apply to employees. If you invoice for your own time, the hours calculator still totals and prices it, but the thresholds are yours to set.
How current are the figures?
Each page shows the year it reflects and links to the source so you can confirm it. Labour law changes, so treat the page as a pointer to the statute rather than a substitute for it.
Can I calculate overtime pay with these rules?
Yes. Select your country in the hours calculator or the timesheet and the thresholds and multiplier from that country's row are applied to your hours automatically.