Staying late, working a night shift or coming in on a public holiday all change how much you should be paid. Azerbaijan's Labour Code sets a minimum for each situation. Here is what it says and how to work out the numbers.
Step 1: find your hourly rate
All of these extra payments are based on your hourly rate. If you are paid a monthly salary, divide it by the number of working hours in the month:
Hourly rate = monthly salary ÷ (working days in the month × hours per day)
For example, with a 2,000 AZN salary, 22 working days and an 8-hour day: 2,000 ÷ 176 = 11.36 AZN per hour.
Overtime: at least double (Article 165)
Overtime is work beyond your set working day, done on the employer's order and with your consent (Article 99). Under Article 165:
- if you are paid by time, every overtime hour is paid at no less than twice your hourly rate;
- if you are paid by piece, you get your full piece-rate pay plus at least the hourly rate of a time-paid worker of the same grade;
- your employment contract or collective agreement can set a higher rate;
- overtime cannot be swapped for an extra day off — it has to be paid.
There are limits as well: no employee may work more than 4 hours of overtime over two consecutive working days, or more than 2 hours in workplaces with heavy and harmful conditions (Article 100).
Rest days and public holidays (Article 164)
Work on rest days, election days, non-working public holidays and the national day of mourning is paid as follows:
- time-paid workers: at least twice the daily (hourly) rate;
- piece-rate workers: at least double the piece rates;
- monthly-salaried employees: on top of the salary, at least one extra day's (hour's) pay if the work stays within the monthly working-time norm, or at least double the daily (hourly) pay if it goes beyond that norm.
Unlike overtime, here you may ask for another day off instead of the extra pay.
Night work (Article 166)
Night time runs from 22:00 to 06:00 (Article 97). Night work and multi-shift work must be paid at a higher rate that cannot fall below the minimum set by the government; the exact supplement is written into your employment contract or collective agreement. The government minimum is 20% of the hourly rate for each hour worked at night (Cabinet of Ministers Decision No. 74 of 5 April 2001).
Pregnant women, women with children under three and employees under 18 may not be given night work (Article 98).
A worked example
Using the 11.36 AZN hourly rate from above (2,000 AZN salary, 22 days × 8 hours):
| Situation | Calculation | Extra pay |
|---|---|---|
| 10 overtime hours on working days | 11.36 × 2 × 10 | 227.27 AZN |
| 8 hours at night (supplement) | 11.36 × 20% × 8 | 18.18 AZN |
| One rest day worked, within the monthly norm | 2,000 ÷ 22 | 90.91 AZN |
The night supplement comes on top of your normal pay for those hours, and the rest-day amount comes on top of your monthly salary.
Check your own numbers
Our overtime calculator works out your hourly rate and the pay for overtime, night hours and holiday work in one go. Keep in mind that the law sets minimums — your contract may give you more.
This article is for general information only and is based on the current text of the Labour Code. Sector-specific rules and your own employment contract may give you better terms.
