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 fatim.jumabhoy@hsf.com.
Key contacts
Steve Bell
Managing Partner - Employment, Industrial Relations and Safety (Australia, Asia), Melbourne
Emma Rohsler
Regional Head of Practice (EMEA) - Employment Pensions and Incentives, Paris
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Herbert Smith Freehills LLP has a Formal Law Alliance (FLA) with Singapore law firm Prolegis LLC, which provides clients with access to Singapore law advice from Prolegis. The FLA in the name of Herbert Smith Freehills Prolegis allows the two firms to deliver a complementary and seamless legal service.