Hours of Work in Lithuania

Maximum Working Hours & Overtime Laws in Lithuania

Standard hours

The standard working hours in Lithuania are 8:00 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, including one unpaid hour for a lunch break, for a total of 8 hours daily (i.e., 40 hours weekly). A shorter working time norm is set for employees working under greater mental or emotional tension or employees exposed to harmful working conditions. A list of such occupations is approved by the government.

It is common to have shorter workdays on Fridays, with many employees finishing work as early as 3:30 p.m.

Depending on the industry (e.g., health care, child care, specialised communication services), a standard working week can contain 48 hours or be extended to include Saturdays.

Maximum hours

The number of weekly working hours should not exceed 48. However, sometimes, the number of hours may be extended to 12 daily (i.e., 60 weekly), depending on the employee’s role. An employee is allowed to work no more than 8 hours of overtime per seven consecutive days. In case there is written consent from the employee, the employee could work up to 12 hours of overtime per week. Working beyond the standard number of hours should happen only in exceptional circumstances.

Opt-out option

Employees cannot opt out of maximum working hours. However, they can sign a letter giving their consent to work up to 12 hours per seven consecutive days.

Overtime compensation

Employees working beyond their standard hours are entitled to overtime pay of 150% of their normal salary. Overtime is increased to 200% if work is performed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or during the employee’s rest day. In case overtime is worked during a national holiday, the employee is entitled to 250% of their normal salary.

Break rights

Employees are entitled to a lunch break (ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours) no later than 5 hours after starting work. They are further entitled to (1) 11 consecutive hours of uninterrupted rest between workdays and (2) 35 consecutive hours of rest weekly provided on two consecutive days, usually the weekend.

Night workers

Night work is any work performed between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. There are different ways to classify an employee as a night worker:

• Working at least three hours of their regular workday between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• Working at least a quarter of their annual working time between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Employees who work night shifts should not have their working time exceed, on average, eight hours per week over the course of the accounting period (limited to three months). Employees who work night shifts are entitled to 1.5 times their regular salary. If doing overtime, they are entitled to 2 times their regular salary.

Time tracking obligations in Lithuania

The employer must keep records of employees’ working time, except for employees working a fixed number of hours and a fixed number of working days per week. The employer must record the following periods:

• Time worked during a public holiday
• Overtime
• Time worked on a day off if not scheduled
• Night hours
• Time worked in accordance with an agreement for additional work

Time tracking can be done on paper (as a hard copy) or electronically, and employers may allow employees to be in charge of tracking the information and submitting it at the end of the month. In case the employee is in charge of keeping track of the working time and submitting the reports, there should still be a set of rules regarding the matter.

Penalties

If the employer fails to keep track of the employee’s working time, an administrative fine of €150 – €1,450 may be applied. A fine of €1,450 – €3,000 may be applied in case of a repetitive offence.