🕐 Annual Working Hours in Georgia

Annual Working Hours in Georgia

Legal Framework: Labour Code of Georgia

Georgian labor law is based on the Labour Code of Georgia (საქართველოს შრომის კოდექსი), which entered force in 2006 and was fundamentally reformed in 2020. The 2020 reform was a prerequisite for the EU Association Agreement and was modeled on EU working time directives. The standard work week is 40 hours, spread over five working days. Overtime is permitted up to a maximum of 48 hours per week and must be compensated at a premium of at least 125%. By comparison, the United States has no federal cap on weekly hours for adults, though the Fair Labor Standards Act mandates overtime pay beyond 40 hours. The UK Working Time Regulations set a 48-hour weekly cap (with opt-out), while Canada's federal standard is 40 hours with provincial variations.

Reality: 1,950 Hours Per Year

Georgian employees work an average of approximately 1,950 hours per year. This figure lies significantly above the European average and roughly 45% above the UK level — workers in the United Kingdom clock approximately 1,530 hours annually according to OECD data, in Australia around 1,690 hours, and in the United States about 1,810 hours. The gap is explained by several factors: widespread unpaid overtime, a high share of informal employment (estimated at 30–40% of the workforce according to the National Statistics Office of Georgia, Geostat), and weak worker representation — union membership stands below 5%.

Sectoral Differences

Workload varies dramatically by sector and region. In retail and hospitality — the largest employment sectors after agriculture — 10- to 12-hour days six days a week are not uncommon, especially during the tourist high season in Batumi and Tbilisi. Seasonal agricultural workers (grape harvest in Kakheti, hazelnut harvest in Samegrelo) sometimes work 14-hour days during harvest periods. The IT sector is the exception: companies such as Sweeft Digital, Flat Rock Technology, and the Tbilisi offices of international firms (EPAM, Toptal) follow Western standards with 40-hour weeks and flexible schedules.

In the civil service — approximately 265,000 employees according to the Civil Service Bureau — working time is formally capped at 40 hours but frequently exceeded through unpaid extra work in practice. Average monthly salaries in the public sector sit at 1,200–1,800 GEL (400–600 USD), which increases the pressure to take on second jobs.

Labour Inspection Service — A Young Institution

The Labour Inspection Service (შრომის ინსპექციის სამსახური) was established as an independent authority under the Ministry of Health only in 2021 — previously, Georgia was the only country in Europe without a functioning labor inspectorate. In its first three years, the agency conducted over 8,000 inspections and found violations in approximately 60% of cases — primarily excessive working hours, missing employment contracts, and inadequate occupational health and safety. Sanctioning powers are limited, however: fines range from 200–1,000 GEL (65–330 USD) — amounts that barely deter larger companies. By comparison, the UK Health and Safety Executive can impose fines reaching millions of pounds for serious violations.

Regional Differences

Tbilisi as the economic center concentrates approximately 50% of the country's formal employment. Here one finds the majority of businesses with regulated working hours and Labour Code–compliant contracts. In rural regions — Kakheti, Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti — informal and seasonal work with effectively unlimited hours dominates. Batumi as a tourism city experiences extreme seasonal fluctuations: during high season (June–September), hotel staff frequently work without days off, while the off-season brings underemployment.

Practical Tips for Expats

Anyone taking employment in Georgia should insist on a written employment contract in both Georgian and English — Article 6 of the Labour Code mandates written form, though this is frequently circumvented. In the IT sector and at international organizations (UN, USAID, World Bank), Western working time standards are the norm. Freelancers and digital nomads benefit from the low cost of living: actual living expenses in Tbilisi run at 40–50% of UK or US metropolitan levels, enabling a standard Western work rhythm with considerably less financial pressure.

This article was created on April 19, 2026