What is the overtime rate on regular workdays?

An employee earns a premium of 25% above the normal hourly rate, i.e. 125% of the base rate, for each hour of overtime on regular weekdays, per secondary legal/HR sources summarizing Article 66.

What is the overtime rate on Friday (the weekly rest day)?

150% of normal pay (a 50% premium) for hours worked on the weekly rest day.

What is the maximum allowed overtime?

2 hours per day maximum, and a total of 180 hours per year, with overtime periods not exceeding three days per week and 90 days per year.

Is a higher rate paid for working on official holidays?

Yes, work on official holidays is compensated at a higher rate — up to 200% of normal pay per available sources — with a compensatory rest day in some cases.

How Overtime Pay Is Calculated in Kuwait

When work counts as overtime

The standard work week in Kuwait is 48 hours, at 8 hours per day. Any hours beyond that count as overtime, and overtime can only be required with a written employer order, typically for reasons like preventing an accident, repairing its damage, avoiding an imminent loss, or handling a workload spike beyond the normal daily level.

Legal caps on overtime

Daily maximum: 2 hours per day.
Weekly maximum: 3 overtime days per week.
Annual maximum: 180 hours per year.
Annual overtime-day maximum: 90 days per year.

Overtime pay by day type

The rates below are drawn from consistent secondary legal/HR sources summarizing Article 66; the official PAM labor-law PDF returned a server error during research and could not be fetched directly, so verify against the official text for a live dispute.

Regular weekday: 125% of normal pay (a 25% premium).
Weekly rest day (Friday): 150% of normal pay (a 50% premium).
Official public holiday: up to 200% of normal pay per available sources, with a compensatory rest day in some cases.

Worked example

An employee with a KD 400 basic monthly salary (daily rate = 400 ÷ 26 ≈ KD 15.38; hourly rate at an 8-hour day ≈ KD 1.92): 2 hours of overtime on a regular day ≈ KD 4.81; 2 hours of work on Friday ≈ KD 5.77; a full 8-hour day on an official holiday ≈ KD 30.72.

Calculate your own number

Use the free end-of-service calculator to apply these rules to your own salary and dates.

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Common questions

What is the overtime rate on regular workdays?: An employee earns a premium of 25% above the normal hourly rate, i.e. 125% of the base rate, for each hour of overtime on regular weekdays, per secondary legal/HR sources summarizing Article 66.
What is the overtime rate on Friday (the weekly rest day)?: 150% of normal pay (a 50% premium) for hours worked on the weekly rest day.
What is the maximum allowed overtime?: 2 hours per day maximum, and a total of 180 hours per year, with overtime periods not exceeding three days per week and 90 days per year.
Is a higher rate paid for working on official holidays?: Yes, work on official holidays is compensated at a higher rate — up to 200% of normal pay per available sources — with a compensatory rest day in some cases.

Sources

Kuwait Labor Law No. 6 of 2010, Article 66 — overtime hour limits and pay premiums (summarized by secondary legal/HR sources; the primary PAM PDF was unreachable during research)
Truein — Kuwait employment law summary
MintHR — overtime compensation in Kuwait

This guide provides general information, not legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), the Ministry of Interior, or a licensed lawyer.