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South Sudan

Working Hours and Overtime Regulations

Understand the laws governing work hours and overtime in South Sudan

Standard working hours

In South Sudan, labor laws have established a standard for working hours to ensure fair treatment for employees. The standard workweek in South Sudan is 40 hours, spread over five days. This translates to eight hours per day from Monday to Friday.

Overtime

In South Sudan, labor laws regulate overtime work to ensure employees receive fair compensation for extra hours worked.

Maximum Overtime Limits

South Sudanese regulations limit the amount of overtime an employee can work. Specifically, an employee can work a maximum of 3 hours per day and 10 hours per week. It's important to note that overtime work is entirely voluntary, and employers cannot force employees, particularly women, to work overtime beyond the stipulated timeframe.

Overtime Compensation Rates

The South Sudanese labor law mandates that employers compensate employees for overtime work. The compensation rate varies depending on the day the overtime is performed:

  • For overtime work performed on regular weekdays, employees are entitled to one and a half times their normal hourly rate (150% of base pay).
  • If an employee works overtime on a weekly holiday or a public holiday, they are entitled to double their normal hourly rate (200% of base pay).

Leave in Lieu of Overtime Pay

South Sudan's labor law offers some flexibility. In some cases, employees can agree with their employers to receive leave instead of overtime pay. However, there are no specific guidelines on how such leave is calculated.

Rest periods and breaks

In South Sudan, the Labour Act of 2017 outlines the minimum entitlements for rest periods and breaks for workers.

Regarding the weekly rest day, employees are entitled to a minimum of 24 consecutive hours of rest every week. Employers must allow workers to take this rest day on the customary day or on a different day agreed upon between the employer and the employee.

As for the daily rest break, the Labour Act doesn't explicitly mention a mandated daily rest break. However, it is suggested that there is a minimum paid rest period of not less than half an hour per day for eating or resting.

It's important to note that specific details regarding daily breaks might be established through individual employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements.

Night shift and weekend regulations

In South Sudan, the Labour Act of 2017 provides some basic guidelines for night and weekend work.

For night shift work, the Act defines it as any work performed between 10 pm and 6 am. While there's no mandated minimum night shift premium outlined in the Act, employers are encouraged to establish favorable working conditions for night shifts through collective agreements or individual contracts. These "favorable conditions" could include higher pay, additional rest periods, or other benefits to compensate for night work.

As for weekend work, the Act doesn't explicitly prohibit working on weekends. Employees are entitled to a minimum of 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest. This rest period can encompass weekends, but the specific day can be negotiated. Similar to night work, the Act encourages establishing favorable conditions for weekend work through collective bargaining agreements or individual contracts. This could involve offering compensatory rest days during the week or additional pay for working weekends.

In conclusion, the South Sudan Labour Act provides a basic framework for night and weekend work, but leaves room for negotiation through individual contracts or collective agreements.

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