The Labour-Law Frame of Round-the-Clock Operations
Casino and studio businesses run continuously, which means the schedules of dealers, inspectors, technical and security staff must be laid out within a narrow corridor of labour legislation. Article 24 of the Labour Code of Georgia sets the foundation: normal working time is any period during which the employee works under the conditions of the employer’s disposition; break time and rest time do not count as working time. The duration of normal working time must not exceed 40 hours per week, and in an enterprise with a specific work regime, where the production process runs continuously for more than 8 hours — no more than 48 hours per week.
The rest minima are equally clear: the employee’s continuous rest between working days or shifts must not be less than 12 hours. Where working time during the day exceeds 6 hours, the employee is entitled to a break; where it is at least 6 hours, the break must be no less than 60 minutes in total. Within a 7-day period the employer must provide continuous rest of no less than 24 hours, and by agreement the employee may use the 24-hour rest twice in succession within no more than 14 days.
The Shift-Work Model
Article 25 regulates shift work as follows: where the employer’s activity involves a continuous 24-hour production process, the parties may conclude an employment contract on shift work — on condition of granting the employee adequate rest time for the hours worked. Shift work is a method of organising working time under which employees successively replace one another at the same workplace according to a defined schedule, including a rotational plan.
Two decisive rules must be considered. First: working two successive shifts is prohibited — a “double shift” is a direct violation. Second: the employee must be notified of a change in the shift schedule no less than 10 days in advance, unless this is impossible due to extreme production necessity. And where observing daily or weekly limits is impossible, Article 26 provides the summarized recording rule — the principal instrument of scheduling, which secures compliance with the average norm over the accounting period.
Overtime Work
Article 27 ties overtime to the agreement of the parties: it is the performance of work by the employee during a period exceeding normal working time. It is compensated at an increased hourly rate agreed by the parties and is paid together with the next monthly remuneration after performance. Alternatively, the parties may agree to grant proportionate additional rest time instead of compensation — no later than 4 weeks after the overtime.
Two procedural rules are critical here: the employer must notify the employee in writing 1 week in advance about overtime to be performed — unless warning is impossible due to objective necessity; and overtime to prevent or eliminate the consequences of a natural disaster is performed without overtime compensation. Employing a pregnant woman, a woman who has recently given birth, a nursing mother, a person with disabilities or a minor in overtime without their consent is prohibited — the same applies to a person who has a child under 3 years of age.
Night Work and Categories of Employees
Article 28 defines night time as the period from 22:00 to 6:00. A night worker is a person who, within normal working time, ordinarily works at night no less than 3 hours. The categorical prohibitions: employing a minor, a pregnant woman, a woman who has recently given birth or a nursing mother at night is prohibited; a person with disabilities and a parent of a child under 3 — only with consent. In heavy and hazardous conditions the maximum working time within 24 hours must not exceed 8 hours — this does not apply to shift work.
Night workers carry additional guarantees as well: at their request the employer must, at its own expense, provide preliminary and periodic medical examinations, and if a medical conclusion shows that night work harms health, the employee must, where possible, be transferred to suitable day work. For minors, Article 24 sets special limits: from 16 to 18 years — 36 hours per week and 6 hours per day; from 14 to 16 — 24 hours per week and 4 hours per day.
Days Off and Recording
Article 30 establishes the calendar of public holidays — New Year, Christmas, Easter and state celebrations — and an important rule: work performed on these days off is regarded as overtime. The employee has the right to request other days of rest instead of the statutory days off, which is determined by the employment contract. Finally, Article 24 demands recording discipline: the employer must record hours worked in writing and/or electronically, acquaint the employee with the monthly recording document and keep it for 1 year.
In the reality of round-the-clock operations this means: the shift schedule, summarized recording, separate fixation of night and overtime hours, and the planning of days off must be linked in one documentary cycle. The correctness of that cycle determines whether the schedule is an instrument of both productivity and legality.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many working hours per week are possible?
The general norm is 40 hours per week; in a specific-regime enterprise with a continuous process — no more than 48 hours, with the rest minima observed.
Can an employee work two successive shifts?
No, working two successive shifts is directly prohibited; continuous rest between shifts cannot be less than 12 hours.
How is a change in the shift schedule fixed?
The employee is notified no less than 10 days in advance, unless this is impossible due to extreme production necessity.
When is work night work?
When it is performed ordinarily for no less than 3 hours between 22:00 and 6:00; for minors, pregnant women and nursing mothers night work is categorically prohibited.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We will build a lawful model of shifts and remuneration: a schedule template with summarized recording, overtime agreements, segregation of night categories and recording documentation. Contact us on Legal.ge — a schedule that satisfies the law simultaneously satisfies the business process.