Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 16. What is normal abroad but not here › Working hours, overtime and rest

Working hours, overtime and rest

Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Stable

Abroad, salaried staff often work flexible hours with overtime folded into pay. In Paraguay, the day week is 48 hours (42 at night, 45 mixed), overtime is capped at 3 hours a day and 57 hours a week, and costs at least 50 percent extra. Night work carries 30 percent, night overtime and holidays 100 percent; managers are excluded but capped at 12 hours a day.

USD figures use PYG 5,868.31 per US dollar, the Banco Central del Paraguay reference quotation for 28 October 2026 (planilla de cotizaciones). Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Maximum ordinary weekly hours, day work	48 hoursCódigo del Trabajo art. 194 (Ley 496/1995), as of 1995-08-22 · in force
Maximum ordinary weekly hours, night work	42 hoursCódigo del Trabajo art. 194 (Ley 496/1995), as of 1995-08-22 · in force
Maximum overtime per day	3 hoursCódigo del Trabajo art. 201, as of 1993-06-29 · in force
Maximum total hours per week including overtime	57 hoursCódigo del Trabajo art. 201, as of 1993-06-29 · in force
Minimum overtime surcharge, day	50 %Código del Trabajo art. 234, as of 1993-06-29 · in force
Night work surcharge	30 %Código del Trabajo art. 234, as of 1993-06-29 · in force
Public holiday work surcharge	100 %Código del Trabajo art. 234, as of 1993-06-29 · in force
BCP reference rate, PYG per US dollar, 28 October 2026	5868.31 PYGBCP planilla de cotizaciones, as of 2026-10-28 · in force

The rule

1. Ordinary hours. The ordinary day may not exceed 8 hours a day or 48 a week for day work (6:00 to 20:00) and 7 hours a day or 42 a week for night work (20:00 to 6:00). A mixed day may not exceed 7.5 hours or 45 a week. Unhealthy or dangerous work and continuous or rotating shifts are capped at 6 hours a day and 36 a week with the pay of an 8 hour day. The day must be split by a rest of at least half an hour, not counted as work.
Cost to do it: No fee; hours beyond the limits are overtime.
Example: A Monday to Friday schedule of 9 hours a day plus 3 hours on Saturday reaches the 48 hour day week. / Not applicable.Ley Nº 213/1993, Código del Trabajo; art. 194, 196 and 198 as reworded by Ley Nº 496/1995 (promulgated 22 August 1995), art. 194, 196, 198 (text given by Ley 496/1995); art. 195 and 200, 1995-08-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28

2. Overtime is capped and voluntary. Extra hours may not exceed 3 a day or a total of 57 hours a week, save force majeure or serious danger, and the worker is only bound to work them for accidents, urgent repairs, temporary urgent work or exceptional needs. Workers under 18 may not work overtime. Employers must post the working schedule and record overtime and its pay in the wage book.
Cost to do it: No fee; breaches are labor violations.
Example: A worker on a 48 hour day week may add at most 9 overtime hours in that week. / Not applicable.Ley Nº 213/1993, Código del Trabajo, art. 201, 202, 203, 206; art. 204 (text given by Ley 496/1995), 1993-06-29 official text · verified 2026-10-28

3. Surcharges. Overtime is paid at least 50 percent above the ordinary rate, night work 30 percent above the day rate, night overtime 100 percent above the night hourly rate and work on public holidays 100 percent above the ordinary hourly rate.
Cost to do it: At least 1.5 times the hourly rate for day overtime, 2 times for holidays and night overtime.
Example: With an ordinary hourly rate of PYG 50,000, 10 hours of day overtime in a month cost at least PYG 750,000 and 8 hours on a public holiday cost PYG 800,000. / About US$128 and US$136.Ley Nº 213/1993, Código del Trabajo, art. 234 (not amended by Ley 496/1995), 1993-06-29 official text · verified 2026-10-28

4. Managers and outside staff. Managers, heads and administrators in employment, staff not under immediate supervision, guards, outside agents and work that by nature has no fixed hours (such as domestic and rural work within their own rules) are excluded from the hour limits, but may not be made to work more than 12 hours a day, get at least 1.5 hours of rest within the day, and hours beyond 8 are paid without surcharge.
Cost to do it: Hours beyond 8 at the plain rate.
Example: A branch manager may work 10 hours a day; the 2 extra hours are paid at the ordinary rate. / Not applicable.Ley Nº 213/1993, Código del Trabajo; art. 205 as reworded by Ley Nº 496/1995, art. 205 (text given by Ley 496/1995), 1995-08-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28

5. Rest. Workers get at least 10 consecutive hours of rest between days and a weekly rest day, normally Sunday, which may be moved to another day within the next week only for continuous, repair or urgent work, with a posted list of compensatory rests. Legal holidays are also rest days. By agreement the 48 weekly hours may be spread to free Saturday afternoon without it counting as overtime.
Cost to do it: No fee; Sunday work outside the exceptions is a breach.
Example: A retailer that opens on Sundays rotates staff and posts the list of compensatory rest days. / Not applicable.Ley Nº 213/1993, Código del Trabajo, art. 212, 213, 214, 215 and 217, 1993-06-29 official text · verified 2026-10-28

Item	Rule	Article
Day work	8 h a day, 48 h a week	194
Night work	7 h a day, 42 h a week	194
Mixed	7.5 h a day, 45 h a week	196
Overtime cap	3 h a day, 57 h total a week	201
Day overtime	+50% minimum	234
Night work	+30%	234
Night overtime	+100%	234
Holiday	+100%	234
Managers	max 12 h, excess over 8 at plain rate	205

Hour limits and surcharges

Worked example

A call centre runs a night shift of 7 hours. Each night hour costs 30 percent more than the day rate, and any extra night hour costs double the night rate: with a day rate of PYG 50,000 (US$8.52), the night rate is PYG 65,000 and a night overtime hour PYG 130,000 (US$22.15).

Step by step

Set schedules within 48 day hours or 42 night hours a week.
Post the schedule and breaks visibly (art. 206 a).
Record overtime and its pay in the wage book (art. 206 b).
Cap overtime at 3 hours a day and 57 total hours a week.

Common traps

Folding overtime into a fixed salary: overtime must be paid with the surcharge (art. 234), and the aguinaldo base includes it (art. 243).
Treating every senior employee as a manager: the art. 205 exclusion covers managers, heads and administrators and staff not under immediate supervision, and still caps the day at 12 hours.
Asking minors for overtime: forbidden (art. 204 as reworded by Ley 496/1995).

Sources

← Thirteenth salary (aguinaldo) and vacation by seniorityDollar contracts are enforceable, but wages are paid in guaraníes →

Get rule changes weekly

Free. One email a week from The LatAm Thread.

One more step after you press the button: we take you to Substack, where your email is already filled in. Confirm there to start. No spam, unsubscribe anytime, we never share your address. By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.