All employees who care about the observance of their own rights at the workplace need to know how many hours are allocated by law to work in a week.
Working time concept
Workers are called the time intervals during which the employee fulfills his duties established by the employment contract. It is the employer's responsibility to keep track of the time that has been worked out by each employee.
The start and end time of a working day, lunch and other breaks are set arbitrarily, but the total number of hours in a week that an employee spends at the workplace is regulated by labor law. The time that the worker spends on the road does not apply to the worker.
In addition to the actual time spent, the time of fulfillment of military duty, jury obligations or other actions provided for by the Labor Code also refers to the worker.
How many hours a week? The correct answer to the question depends on what is meant. There are 168 in a calendar week, but how many hours are there in a work week? The answer to this question will vary depending on the category of worker, because in addition to normal, there are reduced and incomplete working modes.
Normal working week
The maximum number of hours per week that an employer can set for subordinates is 40 hours. This length of the working week is called normal and applies to most workers. Neither the form of ownership of the employer, nor its legal status can be the reason for changing this rule. The type of employment (permanent, temporary work) also does not play a role.
Moreover, the law provides for overtime work, which is calculated in the number of hours worked in excess of the prescribed forty. For overtime, the employee must receive increased pay.
If an employee is employed at several enterprises at once, then employers are not responsible for hours worked in excess of the 40-hour bar, if the norm is not violated within the enterprises themselves.
For example, a hired employee Alexander works 40 hours a week in company A, and 10 hours he works in company B. In total, he works 50 hours every week, but within both enterprises his working time does not exceed 40 hours, therefore, 10 hours worked from above will not be be considered recycling.
Another example: Elena works 45 hours in company A, and 15 hours in company B. In the first workplace, she processes 5 hours, and in the second, her working hours do not exceed the norm.
The working week can consist of 5 or 6 days, a sliding mode is also allowed. Ultimately, only the number of hours worked in a week matters.
Shortened week
For minors, disabled people and some other categories of workers, an abbreviated schedule is provided. In this case, minors receive payment in accordance with the wage, and other categories of workers - full time.
A shortened week may have a different duration depending on the age, working ability of the employee and working conditions:
- 12 hours - for students who are not yet 16 years old;
- 24 hours - for other persons who are not yet sixteen;
- 17.5 hours - for students who are already 16, but not yet 18;
- 35 hours - for people with disabilities (1 and 2 gr.) And workers from 16 to 18 years old who do not study anywhere;
- 36 hours - for teachers, educators and those who work in harmful conditions;
- 39 hours - for doctors.
The shortened week differs from the incomplete one in that the payment is charged as for the full one (with the exception of employees who are not 18 years old). With a shorter week, payment corresponds to generation.
Incomplete week
Part-time may be set for any employee by mutual agreement with the employer. But there are cases in which the employer cannot refuse to approve the employee part-time for him. Examples: an employee has a young child, is himself a minor, takes care of a sick relative. Obliged to meet the expectant mother.
You can arrange for any amount of time within the standard week. Time can be reduced by reducing the number of working days, working hours in one day, or both of these parameters.
Time worked beyond the established time will be considered as overtime work, even if the total number of hours does not exceed 40.
How many hours work abroad
How many hours per week work for those who are officially employed abroad? In the overwhelming majority of countries, the amount of time allotted for work is comparable with a similar parameter in Russia. The standard week is from 35 hours in England and France to 48 hours in Germany, Italy, Ireland and many other countries. The relevant standards are detailed in the laws of each country.
But how many hours can you work in a week without losing productivity? Henry Ford once answered this question: exactly 40 hours.