Rules on working hours vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and can be tricky to implement in practice. This month, we take a look at the standard working hours in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Thailand.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARD WORKING HOURS?
SINGAPORE For employees covered by Part IV of the Employment Act, eight hours per day and 44 hours per week.
There are no statutory provisions on working hours for employees outside the scope of Part IV of the Employment Act.
MALAYSIA For employees covered by the Employment Act 1955, eight hours per day and 48 hours per week.
There are no statutory provisions on working hours for employees outside the scope of the Employment Act 1955.
INDONESIA 40 hours per week, with seven hours per day for a six-day work week or eight hours per day for a five-day work week.
HONG KONG There are no statutory provisions on working hours for employees aged 18 and above.
CHINA Eight hours per day and 40 hours per week.
JAPAN Eight hours per day and 40 hours per week.
THAILAND Eight hours per day and 48 hours per week, or seven hours per day and 42 hours per week if the nature of the work is hazardous.
For more information, please contact Fatim Jumabhoy at [email protected].
Key contacts
Samantha Brown
Managing Partner, Employment, Pensions and Incentives, UK and EMEA, London
Steve Bell
Managing Partner, Employment, Industrial Relations and Safety, Asia and Australia, Melbourne
Emma Rohsler
Partner, Head of Employment, Pensions and Incentives, EMEA, Paris
Tim Leaver
Partner, London
Andrew Taggart
Partner, London
Fatim Jumabhoy
Partner, Head of Employment & Workplace Investigations, Asia, Singapore
Barbara Roth
Partner, New York
Christine Young
Partner, London
Disclaimer
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP and Prolegis LLC have established a Formal Law Alliance licensed by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority of Singapore known as Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Prolegis Alliance, with Singapore law advice provided by Prolegis LLC. The two firms cooperate closely in Singapore to deliver a complementary and seamless legal service.