Ghana

The Labour Act in Ghana establishes guidelines for standard workweeks and daily working hours for employees. The standard workweek in Ghana is capped at 40 hours, spread over five days. This translates to an average of eight hours per day for a typical work schedule. This is explicitly stated in Section 60 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).

It's important to understand that this is the standard. The Labour Act allows for some flexibility within the legal limits. Industry-specific collective bargaining agreements might establish different working hours. In some instances, employers and employees can agree on an averaging agreement that allows for fluctuating daily hours within a set timeframe (e.g., bi-weekly or monthly) as long as the average weekly working hours don't exceed 40.

The Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) of Ghana provides guidelines on how employers should handle overtime work and the corresponding compensation for employees.

An employee is eligible for overtime pay when their work hours exceed the standard 40-hour workweek as established in Section 60 of the Labour Act.

A significant aspect of Ghanaian overtime regulations is employee consent. Employers generally require an employee's consent before assigning overtime work. However, there is an exception for emergencies that threaten the health or safety of workers or the survival of the enterprise.

The Labour Act doesn't specify a mandatory overtime pay rate. However, it emphasizes that employers must have fixed rates for overtime work established within the employment contract. In most cases, overtime work is compensated at a rate of one and a half times the employee's regular hourly rate. This is not a legal requirement, but a widely used practice. Employees are advised to review their employment contracts to understand the specific overtime pay rate applicable to their position.

Similar to some other countries, Ghanaian law allows for time off in lieu of overtime pay under certain conditions. This agreement must be written and clearly outline the terms of the arrangement, including the conversion rate between overtime hours worked and compensatory time off provided. Employees must provide their consent to the time off in lieu agreement.

Ghanaian labor law guarantees rest periods and breaks for employees to ensure their well-being and productivity. Here's a breakdown of these entitlements:

Daily Rest Periods

The Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) mandates a minimum daily rest period of at least 12 consecutive hours between two consecutive working days. This allows for sufficient recovery time before returning to work.

Weekly Rest Periods

Employees are also entitled to a weekly rest period of 48 consecutive hours in every seven days. Ideally, this rest period should start from Saturday and end on Sunday. This extended break allows for proper rest and rejuvenation.

Meal Breaks

While the Labour Act doesn't explicitly mandate a specific duration for meal breaks, it does require employers to provide reasonable breaks and meal times during working hours. The exact duration of these breaks can be negotiated within the employment contract but should be sufficient for employees to have a proper meal and rest.

Breaks During Work Hours

For continuous working days (without breaks exceeding one hour), the law requires employers to provide a rest period of at least 30 minutes counted as normal working hours after every six hours of work. However, if the working day is split into two parts, the break should be for a minimum of one hour and is not counted as working hours. This ensures employees have time to rest and recharge during extended work periods.

Ghanaian labor law has specific regulations in place for night shifts and weekend work to ensure the well-being of employees and fair compensation.

In terms of night work, the definition varies based on the employee's gender. For women, night work refers to any work performed within an 11-consecutive-hour period that includes the 7 hours between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM the following day (Section 74 of Act 651). For men, there is currently no legal definition of night work. The Labour Act doesn't explicitly mandate night shift premium pay, but employers are encouraged to negotiate fair compensation with employees undertaking night shifts.

As for weekend work, the Labour Act does not provide specific regulations for permanent employees. This means they can be scheduled to work on weekends without additional compensation unless a collective agreement dictates otherwise. However, there is a provision for temporary and casual workers. If these workers are required to work on a public holiday, they are entitled to double their regular pay rate (200%) for the entire day or the hours worked.