Page 25 - Monaco Economy 122

Department of Employment:

“Time spent working must not exceed 10 hours” by Milena Radoman

Talking about “health at work” does not only refer to the medical aspect: it’s all about creating
favourable working conditions. What does Monégasque social law say?

When we speak of a good work-life balance, return from a constant salary, regardless of the On the other hand, the model of the working
this implies working conditions favourable to number of hours worked over the adjustment week reduced to four days, in vogue in Belgium,
the mental and physical health of employees. period, in particular during the slowest periods,” where it is to be officially enshrined in law, which
Currently, “the legal duration of work in Monaco said Didier Gamerdinger, Minister for Social aims for a better balance between professional
is set at 39 hours per week of effective work, Affairs and Health, at the time. This reform and private life, as seen within corporate
that is to say the time during which the includes the introduction of the Time Savings groups such as Total Energies, is not topical
employee performs his or her work (which Account, which already exists in Luxembourg, in Monaco. “The majority of Monégasque
in principle excludes the time of putting on France and Germany, a device that allows the companies belong to the service sector and
work clothing, snacks and so on),” indicates employee to accumulate rights to paid leave adopt traditional working hours, apart from
the Department of Employment. This is not or to benefit from remuneration (immediate in the catering, hotel and hospital sectors,”
the French 35-hour regime but Monaco falls or deferred) in return for periods of leave or explains Employment Department Director,
within the European average. The effective daily rest not taken, or the sums allocated thereto. Pascale Pallanca
working time cannot exceed 10 hours, unless
authorised by the Labour Inspectorate; and
the duration of rest between two consecutive
days of work cannot be less than 10 hours.
“Subject to a minimum wage increase (25%
for the first eight hours and 50% for the rest),
the employer has the possibility of extending
working hours up to 47 hours per week: but
beware, there are limits. The accomplishment
of overtime does not authorise - except for
in special circumstances - exceeding the
maximum durations fixed by law, which is 48
hours per week (and 46 hours on average over
any period of 12 consecutive weeks) and, finally,
only in certain exceptional cases, 60 hours per
week for short periods with the agreement of
the Labour Inspectorate.

Reform in 2021
The latest reform to the law, adopted at the
end of June 2021, on the organisation of
working time, ratified the principle of flexibility,
namely an organisation of working time over a
reference period longer than one week (within
the limit of one year) by employee category.
“The concerted arrangement of working time
offers a response to companies subject to
seasonal cycles, by allowing them to adapt the
working time of their employees to fluctuations
in the workload. Thus, in periods of low activity,
the employer may only mobilise its employees
for part of their usual working time, asking
them to work more hours during periods © Depositphotos / sheftsoff
of high activity. The employees affected by
the implementation of this system benefit in

25