Romanian labor law establishes a framework for working hours, rest periods, and overtime compensation to protect employee well-being and ensure fair labor practices. Employers operating in Romania must adhere to these regulations, which are primarily outlined in the Labor Code, to maintain compliance and avoid potential penalties. Understanding these rules is crucial for effective workforce management and accurate payroll processing.
This guide provides a detailed overview of the key aspects of working time regulations in Romania, including standard working hours, overtime rules, rest period entitlements, and employer obligations for recording working time.
Standard Working Hours and Workweek Structure
The standard full-time working week in Romania is 40 hours, typically distributed over five days, resulting in 8 hours per day. However, the law allows for the possibility of a shorter working week if specified in the individual employment contract or collective bargaining agreement.
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Maximum Working Hours: The maximum legal working time, including overtime, cannot exceed 48 hours per week. In exceptional cases, this can be extended to 60 hours per week, provided that the average working time over any four-month period does not exceed 48 hours per week.
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Workweek Structure: While a five-day workweek is standard, alternative arrangements are possible, such as compressed workweeks or flexible schedules, as long as they comply with the legal limits on daily and weekly working hours.
Overtime Regulations and Compensation Requirements
Overtime work is defined as any work performed beyond the standard full-time working hours. Overtime is only allowed in situations of force majeure or for urgent work intended to prevent accidents or to repair the consequences of accidents.
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Overtime Limits: Overtime work cannot be performed continuously for more than 48 hours per week, including the hours of standard work.
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Overtime Compensation: Overtime work must be compensated by granting time off during the next 30 days, corresponding to the number of overtime hours worked. If granting time off is not possible, the employee is entitled to an overtime pay raise of at least 75% of their base salary for each overtime hour worked.
| Overtime Compensation Method | Details
