Working Time Rules: Italy
Italy: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
Statutory working time
Under Legislative Decree 66/2003 (Art. 3), implementing EU Directive 2003/88/EC, ordinary working time is 40 hours per week. The maximum including overtime is 48 hours per week averaged over a reference period of up to 4 months.
Overtime
Overtime is limited to 250 hours a year absent a collective agreement, which may set a different limit, and is paid with a premium set by the applicable agreement. An average 48-hour weekly limit including overtime also applies.
Rest periods
At least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest and 24 hours of weekly rest, usually on Sunday and combined with the daily rest (about 35 hours), assessed on average over 14 days.
Record-keeping
Employers keep attendance and working-time records for payroll and inspection purposes.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.