What is the legal weekly working time in Morocco?
Normal working time is 44 hours a week in non-agricultural activities, under article 184 of the Labour Code (loi n° 65-99), or 2,288 hours a year.
It is a ceiling for normal work, not a minimum: a company can set shorter hours, for example 40 hours, in its internal rules or its contracts.
Why does the Code also mention 2,288 hours a year?
The annual figure lets the 2,288 hours be spread over the year to fit business needs, under the conditions set by the Labour Code: heavier weeks in high season, lighter ones afterwards. Without such an arrangement, the reference stays the 44-hour week.
How can a 44-hour week be organized?
| Arrangement | Typical hours | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5½ days | Monday – Friday 8 h of work, Saturday morning 4 h | 5 × 8 h + 4 h = 44 h |
| 6 equal days | Monday – Saturday 7 h 20 of work a day | 6 × 7 h 20 = 44 h |
| 5 long days | Monday – Friday 8 h 48 of work a day | 5 × 8 h 48 = 44 h |
| Two 8-hour shifts | Morning 6:00 – 14:00 or afternoon 14:00 – 22:00, with a 30 min break, 6 days | 6 × 7 h 30 = 45 h, i.e. 1 h beyond 44 h |
5½ days
- Typical hours
- Monday – Friday 8 h of work, Saturday morning 4 h
- Total
- 5 × 8 h + 4 h = 44 h
6 equal days
- Typical hours
- Monday – Saturday 7 h 20 of work a day
- Total
- 6 × 7 h 20 = 44 h
5 long days
- Typical hours
- Monday – Friday 8 h 48 of work a day
- Total
- 5 × 8 h 48 = 44 h
Two 8-hour shifts
- Typical hours
- Morning 6:00 – 14:00 or afternoon 14:00 – 22:00, with a 30 min break, 6 days
- Total
- 6 × 7 h 30 = 45 h, i.e. 1 h beyond 44 h
Sample schedules totaling 44 hours of actual work, unpaid breaks deducted.
What does a working month amount to in Morocco?
For paid leave calculations, the Labour Code uses a month of 26 working days or 191 working hours in non-agricultural activities (article 238).
In payroll, these benchmarks are often used to convert a monthly salary into an hourly rate or to prorate an incomplete month. It is a method, not an obligation: apply it to every employee in the same way.
What happens beyond 44 hours?
Hours worked beyond normal working time are overtime, paid at +25% by day and +50% by night on a working day, +50% and +100% on the weekly rest day (article 201). Details and calculator: overtime in Morocco.
Your internal rules should state whether the reference is the 44-hour week or the scheduled day.
How does TEMPO track working time?
Working time is tracked from actual punches, not from theoretical hours.
Schedules and standard week
Each employee has their own hours: fixed shifts, flexible days, cycles, rest days.
Daily or 44 h threshold
Overtime is counted beyond the scheduled day or beyond 44 hours a week.
Reports by period
Normal hours, overtime, lateness and absences by employee, department or site, exportable to Excel.
Anomalies
Missing punches, late arrivals and early departures are listed so they can be justified before payroll.
Read next
- Overtime Overtime in Morocco: 25, 50 and 100% rates, Sundays and public holidays, pay base, worked examples and a calculator, under article 201.
- Staff scheduling Staff scheduling software in Morocco: day and night shifts, cycles, rest days, Ramadan hours, schedule generator and Excel templates.
- Time management Time management software in Morocco: calculation modes, grace periods, normal hours and overtime, daily and period reports.
- Night work Night work in Morocco: the 9 pm to 6 am window, 50% or 100% premium on night overtime, shifts past midnight and time and attendance.
Questions fréquentes
What are the legal working hours in Morocco?
44 hours a week, or 2,288 hours a year, in non-agricultural activities, under article 184 of the Labour Code. This is normal working time: hours worked beyond it are overtime, paid at a premium under article 201. A company can set shorter hours in its contracts or internal rules.
How many hours a day in Morocco?
The Code sets normal working time by the week (44 hours) and by the year (2,288 hours), and leaves the company to spread it. A 5½-day week often gives 8 hours Monday to Friday and 4 hours on Saturday; a week of 6 equal days gives 7 h 20 a day. Unpaid breaks do not count.
How many hours in a working month in Morocco?
For paid leave, article 238 of the Labour Code uses a month of 191 hours or 26 working days in non-agricultural activities. These benchmarks can be used to convert a monthly salary into an hourly rate: it is a method, not an obligation, and 2,288 hours divided by 12 gives 190.67 hours.
What does 2,288 hours a year mean?
It is the annual normal working time of article 184: 52 weeks of 44 hours. It lets hours be spread over the year to fit activity, longer weeks in high season and shorter ones afterwards, under the conditions set by the Code. Without an arrangement decided in advance, the reference stays 44 hours a week.
How can I track my employees’ working time?
With a time and attendance system that compares punched hours with schedules. TEMPO calculates each day the hours worked, normal hours and overtime, beyond the scheduled day or beyond 44 hours a week as you choose, and totals everything by pay period in the activity statement.
Sources
Textes officiels d'où viennent les chiffres de cette page. Les valeurs proposées par le logiciel restent modifiables.