Pay and rights · 4 min read
Working hours in Ethiopia: 8 hours a day, 48 a week, rest days and public holidays
Normal hours can't go over 8 a day or 48 a week. You get 24 hours of rest each week, and paid public holidays. Here's what the law says about each.
Normal working hours in Ethiopia can't go over 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week. That's Article 61 of Labour Proclamation 1156/2019. You also get a weekly rest of at least 24 hours in a row, and paid public holidays. Overtime is limited to 4 hours a day and 12 hours a week, and the law allows it only in the cases it names.
Normal hours
Normal hours are the time you actually work or are available for work (Article 61). The Ministry can reduce them for sectors or jobs with special conditions (Article 62).
- Hours spread evenly across the working days of the week (Article 63)
- If the work needs it, a day can be shorter and the rest moved to other days, but no day can go over 10 hours (Article 63)
- If hours can't be even each week, they can be averaged over a longer period, up to 8 a day and 48 a week on average (Article 64)
- Young workers aged 15 to 17 can't go over 7 hours a day (Article 90)
Overtime
Work beyond your normal daily hours is overtime, on your employer's express instruction, and your employer has to record it (Article 66). It's allowed only for an accident, force majeure, urgent work, or covering for an absent worker on continuous work. It can't go over 4 hours a day and 12 hours a week (Article 67). Our overtime guide has the rates and worked sums.
Your weekly rest
- At least 24 hours in a row in each seven days (Article 69)
- Whenever possible on a Sunday, and for all workers at the same time, unless a collective agreement or work rule says otherwise (Article 69)
- The rest is counted from 6 a.m. to the next 6 a.m. (Article 69)
- If your job doesn't let you take a weekly rest day, your employer has to give you 4 working days of rest a month (Article 69)
- Services that can't stop, such as essential public services, can set another day (Article 70)
You can be asked to work on your rest day only for an accident, force majeure or urgent work (Article 71). You then get a rest day in its place, as well as your overtime pay, or cash if your contract ends first.
Public holidays
Public holidays under the relevant law are paid (Article 73). If you're paid monthly, your pay isn't reduced for a holiday you don't work (Article 74). For other workers, the contract or collective agreement decides.
Working on a public holiday pays your hourly wage times 2 for each hour (Article 75). Our overtime guide explains how this fits with the 2.5 rate for overtime on a holiday. If a holiday falls on another holiday or a rest day, you get one holiday payment for that day.
If you work in government
Federal civil servants have different rules: at least 39 and at most 48 hours a week (Article 56 of Proclamation 1353/2024). Our guide on their leave has more.
Who these rules don't cover
The Labour Proclamation doesn't apply to managerial employees, personal service contracts, the armed forces, the police, state administration staff, judges and prosecutors, or people working for themselves (Article 3). This page explains the law, and it isn't legal advice.
Commercial travellers and commercial representatives are also outside the weekly rest rules (Article 72), and outside the hours rules unless a collective agreement or contract says otherwise (Article 65).
Sources and further reading
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Frequently asked questions
How many working hours are there in Ethiopia?
Normal hours can't go over 8 a day or 48 a week, under Article 61.
Is Sunday the rest day?
Whenever possible, unless a collective agreement or work rule says otherwise. The rest has to be at least 24 hours in a row in each seven days.
Can I refuse overtime?
Article 67 says a worker may not be compelled to work overtime, and allows it only in the cases it lists.
Are public holidays paid?
Yes. If you're paid monthly, your pay isn't reduced for a holiday. If you work on one, it pays your hourly wage times 2 for each hour.