Stories
Working Hours in a Week: How many hours do people work globally?
N
News18•16-10-2026, 11:22
Working Hours in a Week: How many hours do people work globally?
- •Brazil has decided to reduce weekly working hours from 44 to 40 in phases over the next 14 months to improve work-life balance.
- •In India, working hours typically range from 45 hours in corporate settings to 48 hours in sectors with a 6-day workweek.
- •France has a legal working reference of 35 hours a week for full-time employees, though actual hours may vary.
- •Australia and Belgium maintain a standard of 38 working hours a week for full-time employees.
- •The US and China both set their standard working hours at around 40 hours a week, accompanied by specific overtime regulations.
Key Questions Answered
In India, many sectors follow a 6-day workweek system with 8 hours of daily work, totaling 48 hours a week. Some corporate companies operate on a 5-day workweek with a 9-hour daily shift, resulting in 45 hours of work per week.
In France, the legal working reference for full-time employees is 35 hours a week. Working beyond this limit may qualify employees for overtime or other compensation based on applicable rules.
Brazil decided to reduce its weekly working hours from the previous 44 hours down to 40 hours. This change will be implemented in phases across various sectors over a period of 14 months.
