Working in Portugal - Working Time

Normal working hours may not exceed eight hours per day or 40 hours per week. By means of an instrument of collective labour regulation, however, normal working hours can be increased by a maximum of four hours, though the duration of weekly work may not exceed 60 hours.

The working week

By law, Sunday is the mandatory weekly rest day. In addition to this, another half or full day of weekly rest may be granted, which may be split or suspended.

Break

The working day must be interrupted by a break of not less than one hour and not more than two hours so that employees do not work for more than five hours consecutively.

Daily rest

Employees are guaranteed a minimum of 11 continuous hours of rest between two consecutive working days. This does not apply to activities characterised by the need to ensure continuous service or production, provided the corresponding time off in lieu is guaranteed (e.g.: hospitals, ports, airports, telecommunications, industries where continuous working applies, etc.)

Overtime

All work provided outside working hours. Employees are obliged to work overtime except when they expressly request dispensation on justifiable grounds. Female workers who are pregnant or who have children under 12 months of age are not obliged to work overtime. Overtime per employee is restricted to: two hours on any normal working day; a maximum of 200 hours annually; a number of hours equal to normal daily working hours on a compulsory or additional weekly rest day or public holiday; a number of hours equal to half the normal daily working hours; a half-day of additional rest. The provision of overtime on a normal working day entitles employees to the following increases in pay: 50% of pay for the first hour; 75% for subsequent hours or part-hours. Overtime worked on a mandatory or additional weekly rest day or a public holiday entitles employees to an increase of 100% for each hour of work done. Overtime done on a working day, an additional weekly rest day or a public holiday also entitles employees to paid time off in lieu corresponding to 25% of the overtime hours worked. Work done on the mandatory weekly rest day entitles employees to one paid day off in lieu, to be taken in the following three working days.

Night work

This is defined as work performed between 22:00 on one day and 07:00 on the following day. It lasts for a minimum of seven hours and a maximum of 11 hours, including the break between 0:00 and 05:00. Night work attracts an increase of 25% in relation to pay for equivalent work done during the day. The pay is 125% of that for normal work.
Shiftwork: this is deemed to be any means of organising work in teams, in which employees successively occupy the same jobs in rotation, either continuously or discontinuously, which means that employees can perform the work at different times during a given period of days or weeks. The duration of work of each shift may not exceed the maximum limits of normal working hours. Employees can only change shifts after a weekly rest day. Under the system of continuous working, shifts must be organised so that employees on each shift are granted at least one day's rest in each period of seven days, without prejudice to the extra rest period they may be entitled to.

Useful information:

• IDICT – Instituto do Desenvolvimento e Inspecção das Condições de Trabalho [Institute for the Development and Inspection of Working Conditions]
  Praça de Alvalade, 1 - 1749-073 Lisbon
  Tel: 217 924 500
  Fax: 217 924 597

Text last edited on: 12/2004

Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2007
Reproduction is authorised.