Both employers and employees should acknowledge the working hours in Bangladesh. Well, the minimum working hours in Bangladesh today is 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week. Bangladesh Labour Act governs the working hours and overtime hours in Bangladesh. Like standard hours, there are overtime hours, and the pay for overtime hours must be at least two times of the regular hourly wages. Then, there are some exceptions, like, women working overtime, especially at night, will need consent.
The working hours are not going to be the same in all industries and for all employees. The position of the employee and the company policy also determine the working hours in Bangladesh.
What Is the Legal Definition of Working Hours in Bangladesh?
Working hours means the period of work when workers need to be at work. Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 (amended in 2018), clearly states about the working hour in bangladesh labour law. As per section 100, the standard working hours in Bangladesh is 8-hour a day with intervals. It can be 10 hours, i.e. additional two hours as overtime. And under 102, the weekly standard working hours is 48 hours and maximum 60 hours.
What Are the Standard Working Hours According to Bangladesh Labour Law?
The standard and maximum working hours permitted in Bangladesh are-
Per Day
As per the Labour Act, Section 100, working hours for employees in Bangladesh per day is 8 hours.
Per Week
For per week, the Labour Act, Section 102 states that working hours for employees in Bangladesh weekly is 48 hours. And the weekly average working hours in Bangladesh is 56 hours.
Maximum Permissible Working Hours
The Labour Act, Section 108 allows 10-hour per day and 60-hour per week as working hours for employees in Bangladesh maximum. Which means two hours extra as overtime. Women workers can’t work more than 8 hours or have shifts beyond 10 am to 6pm without having women workers’ consent.
Weekly Cap and Exceptions
Typically, the limit of working hours is 60-hours weekly according to the Bangladesh Labor Law. However, they are entitled to work 48 hours weekly. If they work beyond 48 hours, they must be paid for their overtime.
Exceptions can also arise in the working hours. Like, the workers can have a grant in special circumstances. If needed, they may have a rest interval or any other interval. This falls under certain conditions, like age limit, hours of work, and so on.
Are There Working Hour Differences by Industry or Worker Type?
Working hours can differ from industry to industry. The reasons can be legal constraints, nature of job, and operational needs.
Working Hour Based on Industries
All workers in the industries don’t have the same working hours. For example, a physician can work 4 days a week, while a nurse has to work 6 days a week. Then, in the media industry, it’s 5 days a week, and for retail, it’s 6 days a week. So, the working hours can highly differ not only in different industries, but also in the same industry.
| Specific industries | Working hours (weekly) |
|---|---|
| Healthcare | 50 to 60 hours |
| Finance | 60 to 80 hours |
| Technology | 40 to 52 hours |
| Manufacturing | 40 to 60 hours |
| Retail | 35 to 50 hours |
| Agriculture | 40 to 60 hours |
| Media | 40 to 54 hours |
Working Hour Based on Employee Type
Like industries, employee types can also highly vary in the working hours.
| Employee Type | Working Hours (weekly) |
|---|---|
| Full-time | 48 to 60 hours |
| Part-time | 35 to 40 hours |
| Self-employed | 40 to 50 hours |
| On-call shifts | 40 to 48 hours |
What Breaks and Rest Periods Are Employees Entitled to in Bangladesh?
According to the working hours for employees in Bangladesh labour law:
- A shift of a 6-hour schedule must include a 1 hour lunch break.
- A 5-hour schedule must include a 30 minute lunch break.
- A 8-hour schedule must have at least 1 hour 30 minutes lunch or rest break.
- Each 4 hour shift must have 10 minutes of paid break. But if the employee takes 30 minutes of break for a 4-hours shift, that break is going to be unpaid.
Bangladesh Labour Act, Section 103 entitled to have a one-day holiday weekly for employees and workers. Well, it can be 1.5 days for commercial workers. But the day of holiday is going to be as per the company policy, but mostly it’s Friday.
The flexibility in break scheduling is not applied in all companies and industries, but specific ones. Employees are allowed to have flexible working hours to have a balance on their personal and professional lives. The standard working hours are generally 9 am to 5 pm. But the flexible working hours allows employees to choose when to start and end their work, maintaining the duration of working hours. This benefits employees to manage their childcare needs, personal appointments, have time for their leisure activities, and so on.
Can Employees Work on Nights or Weekends in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh Labour Law Act, 2006, Section 103 also mentions night works with weekend work. If employees want, they can work beyond 8 hours a day, that is 10 hours a day with overtime. But women workers must have their consent to work for night shift, i.e. 10 pm to 6 am. If the worker works overtime, be it night or day, he must be paid at least two times his standard working day for his overtime period. In the same way, if they work on a weekend or week holiday, they should be paid twice their regular rate as overtime pay. However, the Labour Act of 2006 prohibits women from working night shifts, that is, 10 pm to 6 am. But if the woman worker has her consent, she can work the night shift.
How Business Hours and Working Days Are Calculated in Bangladesh?
The standard working hours are generally 9 am to 5 pm. Meanwhile, the bank working hours in Bangladesh can differ slightly, i.e. 10 am to 4 pm. To calculate the working hours, you will need the start time and end time. Then convert the time to 24-hour format. Let’s take the bank time as an example. The start time is 10.00 am and the end time is 16.00 pm. The difference is 16.00 – 10.00= 6.00. So the working hours are 6.
Now, you will need to subtract and add the unpaid breaks and paid overtime hours. Let’s say, the break is 30 minutes. So your net working hours is (6.00 – 00.30) = 5.30 working hours.
Overtime hours = total hours worked during the pay period – standard working hours. You can read the details about overtime calculation in this article.
Let’s say, the total hours worked in a week is 60 hours, and the standard working hours is 48 hours. So, the overtime hours is (60-48) = 12 hours.
How Does HR Software Help Track Working Hours and Overtime Accurately
HR software automates time tracking, generates reports, and provides clear data. They usually capture employee activities with the help of automation and real time tracking. HR software provides warnings and shows progress bars to monitor the working hours and overtime hours. PiHR, being an employee attendance software, complies with labour laws. It easily tracks working hours of employees with its automated system.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to comply with the rules of working hours prescribed by the Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006. Employers and employees have to follow the legal work time, breaks, and overtime. Also, they have to follow fair scheduling. The employer must provide a written schedule to employees 14 days before. Employees are also allowed to make input on their schedule, increase or decrease shifts if needed. But for women workers, their consent highly matters for increased and night shifts.
The government has made laws fairly on overtime, standard time, adjustments, and breaks. They are indeed helpful to create a healthy work environment and ensure employees’ well-being.
FAQs
Can an employer change my working hours without notice in Bangladesh?
No, an employer can’t change the working hours of an employee without issuing any notice in Bangladesh.
Is there any rule for flexible or remote working hours in Bangladesh labour law?
Bangladesh labour law mainly focuses on the standard working hours and overtime compensations, not the flexible or remote working hours.
Do Friday-only part-time jobs follow the same working hour laws?
Yes, Friday-only part-time jobs follow the same working hour laws.
How are working hours managed during Ramadan in Bangladesh?
As per the government, the working hours during Ramadan in Bangladesh should be 9 am to 3.30 pm.
Are lunch breaks included in working hours under Bangladesh law?
Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006 does not include lunch breaks in working hours. There is a specific break time in work hours that must be deducted.
Do working hours include training time or company events?
Yes, the mandatory training time or company events are a part of employees’ working hours.
