Working Hours Law in Israel

Working Hours and Rest Periods

Employers sometimes forget that employees also deserve time off. Israel's Hours of Work and Rest Law is intended to protect the right to rest. It limits how many hours an employee may be required to work each day and how many days they may work each week, and provides rules on breaks.

The article's original account of the Hours of Work and Rest Law describes a standard working day of eight or nine hours, depending on the number of days worked per week. It states that night shifts, Fridays before the weekly day of rest, and holiday eves generally involve a seven-hour working day, subject to applicable arrangements.

The minister responsible for labor may approve changes to certain rules.

As for weekly rest, the law generally provides for at least 36 consecutive hours of rest each week.

Depending on the employee's religion, the weekly rest period may include Saturday, Friday or Sunday. Some workplaces may have different arrangements for substituting or shortening rest periods.

The source article also refers to a minimum of 25 consecutive hours in certain arrangements. It emphasizes that employees are not ordinarily obliged to work on their designated day of rest.

Restrictions on operating workshops, factories and shops and on employing workers during the day of rest are also discussed in the law, with exceptions for particular employees and local authorities.

Regarding overtime, the original article states that an employee must not work more than 12 hours in one day. It refers to a limit of four overtime hours per day and 12 per week, or up to 15 weekly overtime hours for some factory workers. Every overtime hour must be compensated at an increased rate.

For the first two overtime hours, the employee is entitled to an additional 25% above the usual hourly rate.

The article describes a higher premium for work on the weekly day of rest, citing 175% for the first two hours and 200% from the third hour. The exact rules depend on the type of work and the current legal provisions.

As for breaks, the original account states that a working day of at least six hours includes a meal and rest break of 45 minutes.

Within that break, employees must receive at least 30 consecutive minutes during which they may leave the workplace for personal needs, subject to the applicable law.

The article notes a 2009 amendment concerning toilet breaks. It also states that there should be at least eight hours between the end of one working day and the beginning of the next.

Under the Hours of Work and Rest Law, employers are required to keep records of hours worked, weekly rest, overtime, overtime pay and work performed during weekly rest.

However, the original article lists certain positions and sectors to which some provisions of the law do not apply:

• Police and prison service employees.
• Public servants whose duties require work outside regular hours.
• Fishermen and seafarers.
• Aircraft crew members.
• People in senior management positions.
• Employees whose working and rest hours cannot be supervised, including certain people working from home.

The Right to Sit at Work

The right to sit at work means an employer generally must provide workers with a chair and must not prevent them from sitting when performing their duties, unless the nature of the work requires standing.

During breaks, workers should have access to chairs or benches with backrests. The number of seats should be sufficient for the workforce, and seating must be appropriate.

This is a translation of a historical article. Some legal rules and exceptions may have changed; consult the current law or a qualified adviser before relying on the figures.