Work hours and vacations

Working hours is the time during which an employee must perform job duties. Working hours shall be set by company's internal labor regulations, shift schedules, and in their absence, in the employment contract.

The normal workweek for an employee may not exceed 40 hours per week in Uzbekistan. The duration of daily work may not exceed 7 hours in a six-day workweek and 8 hours in a five-day workweek. The duration of daily work for employees with disabilities of groups I and II should not exceed 6 hours in a six-day workweek and 7 hours and 30 minutes in a five-day workweek.

Part-time work may be arranged for employees at their request upon hiring or at any point after that. Part-time employees are paid based on the time they worked, or the amount of work completed. Working part-time does not impact annual leave, the calculation of work experience, or any other labor rights.

Employers must grant part-time work requests of pregnant women, parents of a child under 14 years old, and anyone caring for a sick family member confirmed with a medical paper.

Shifts and rest

Employees must be given a break of at least 30 minutes, and no longer than 2 hours, for rest and meals during their work day. This break is not considered working time. The daily rest between the end of work and the start of work the next day may not be less than 12 hours.

Shift work is a work done in 2 or more shifts. It is implemented when the length of the production process is longer than the set length of a work day.

Shift work schedules shall be determined by the employer. Employees must alternate shifts evenly. It is prohibited to involve an employee in work for 2 consecutive shifts. Employees must get a minimum of 12 hours of daily rest between their shifts.

Weekends and public holidays

Work on weekends and public holidays is generally prohibited in Uzbekistan. Employees may be asked to work on weekends and public holidays with their written consent. This includes employees working in continuously operating organizations who perform work that serves the public, and those performing urgent repair and loading/unloading works, may be required to work on holidays.

Asking employees to work on a weekend or a public holiday must be done through a formal order from the employer. The employee may consent by signing the order or submitting a separate written statement.

Workers who agree to work on a weekend may choose to be paid at a higher rate, or receive another day off to compensate.

See our article on employee compensation.

The duration of daily work on the eve of public holidays should be reduced for all employees by at least 1 hour.

Reduced working hours

Reduced working hours without reduced pay are available to some employees based on their age, health, working conditions, or the specific nature of their jobs.

For employees aged 16 to 18, the working hours shall be set at no more than 36 hours per week. If these individuals study and work during a school year, their working time may not exceed 18 hours per week.

For employees with disabilities of groups I and II, employees exposed to harmful and hazardous production factors, and for medical workers, teachers, and other workers whose work is associated with increased emotional and nervous strain (as per the government-approved list),working hours shall be set at no more than 36 hours per week.

Night-time and overtime work

Night work is the work between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM. Night work shall be reduced by 1 hour if at least half of the employee's usual work day is spent working during the night. The duration of work at night shall not be reduced for employees hired specifically for night-time work.

Pregnant women, parents of a child under 14 years of age (or 16 years of age for a child with a disability), and people with disabilities may not be asked to work at night without their consent. Employees under the age of 18 are prohibited from working at night.

Overtime work happens when an employee works longer than their set working hours. Involving an employee in overtime work is generally allowed with the written consent of the employee. The duration of overtime work must not exceed 4 hours within 2 consecutive days and a total of 120 hours per year. Overtime work is not allowed if the duration of a work shift is 12 hours long, as well as in jobs with particularly harmful and hazardous working conditions.

Night-time and overtime work shall be paid at a higher rate.

See our article on employee compensation.

Annual leave

The minimum duration of annual leave is 21 calendar days in Uzbekistan. Employees under the age of 18 and employees with group I or II disabilities shall receive 30 calendar days.

For every 5 years an employee works for the same organization, they are entitled to an additional 2 calendar days of leave, up to a maximum of 8 calendar days in total.

Employees working in hazardous or dangerous conditions, or in areas with challenging climates, may be entitled to additional leave. The total length of all types of annual leave combined may not exceed 56 calendar days in a single working year.

Employees have the right to use annual leave for their first working year after 6 months of continuous work. Employers must prepare a leave schedule before the start of a year indicating when each employee will take their annual leave.

When providing annual leave, its length shall be calculated in calendar days. Public holidays that fall within an employee's leave period shall not be counted. If an employee has worked for less than 12 full months, their working year may be adjusted accordingly.

When an employment contract is terminated, employees are entitled to receive cash compensation for all unused annual leave. An employee may request to take annual leave and then terminate the employment.

See our article on employee dismissal.

Unpaid leave

An employee may request unpaid leave for personal reasons, in which case the employer and the employee shall come to a mutual agreement on the length of the leave. The total length of unpaid leave may not exceed 3 months, whether taken all at once or in multiple shorter periods.

In case of an quarantine and emergency situations, the employer may extend the duration of unpaid leave up to 6 months.

Social leave

Social leave is designed to promote well-being and address social needs of an employee. The types of social leave available to employees in Uzbekistan include maternity leave, parental leave, study leave, creative leave.

Maternity leave allows pregnant women to take time off before and after childbirth. Parental leave enables parents to care for their young children. Employees pursuing further education may take study leave to attend classes and prepare for exams. Creative leave is specifically for employees engaged in creative professions, such as artists, writers, and musicians.

If relevant circumstances exist, the employer is obliged to provide the employee with social leave. Social leaves shall be provided in addition to annual leave.