The working time database is a searchable database providing information on the working time laws of more than 100 countries around the world. It covers laws that protect the health and well-being of workers; facilitate a balance between work and family life; ensure workers have adequate time to devote to their other responsibilities and interests; and prevent discrimination against part-time workers.The database provides summaries of the primary working time laws in each country including:

• Hour limits: the number of hours a worker is permitted to perform each day, week or year.
• Overtime work: including limits on overtime hours, the amount of advance notice required, and the additional pay or time-off for overtime work.
• Rest periods: the amount of rest to which workers are entitled during the day, between working days and at weekends.
• Annual leave and public holidays: the number of holiday days and the entitlement to payment during these periods.
• Night work: prohibitions on performing night work and protection for night workers, including heath assessments and the right to transfer to day work; extra pay or time-off for night workers; and protection for specific groups, such as pregnant workers.
• Part-time work: rights for part-time workers to equal treatment with full-timers.
• Employee choice over working hours: rights for workers to influence the length and scheduling of their working hours, including to work part time.

Searches can be performed by country, region, subject and text. The user can also find recent changes with the advanced search function and browse the entire database.

The Database was last updated in September 2006.

For further guidance on using the database consult help.

Further information 

Conditions of Work and Employment Programme (TRAVAIL), International Labour Office
4, route des Morillons, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland travail@ilo.org

Database of Conditions of Work and Employment Laws Disclaimer: Summaries and full texts in the TRAVAIL Legal Database are provided for information purposes only and are not intended to replace consultation of the authentic legal texts. We update the database regularly but are unable to guarantee that the laws it contains are the most recent version. Please contact us if you have updated information. For information purposes, the Database contains links to other websites; their inclusion does not signify responsibility for, or approval of, their content by the ILO.