Overtime pay calculator (Portugal, 2026)
How much are you owed for overtime on working days, rest days and public holidays? Automatic calculation under Art. 268 and Art. 271 of the Portuguese Labour Code, including the doubled rates above 100 hours per year.
Total overtime pay owed
€0.00
Calculations follow Art. 268 and Art. 271 of the Portuguese Labour Code. Collective agreements (CCTs) can set higher supplements, so always check the one covering your sector.
How it works
Portuguese law pays overtime (trabalho suplementar) as a supplement on top of your normal hourly rate. There are two steps:
- Work out the base hourly rate (Art. 271). Formula:
hourly rate = (monthly salary × 12) / (52 × weekly hours). Only the base salary counts, not the meal allowance or bonuses. - Apply the supplement for the category (Art. 268(1)): 25%, 37.5% or 50% depending on when the overtime happened.
The legal rates (Art. 268)
| Category | Up to 100h/year | Above 100h/year | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st overtime hour (working day) | +25% | +50% | Art. 268(1)(a) and (2)(a) |
| Following hours (working day) | +37.5% | +75% | Art. 268(1)(a) and (2)(a) |
| Weekly rest day (mandatory or complementary) | +50% | +100% | Art. 268(1)(b) and (2)(b) |
| Public holiday | +50% | +100% | Art. 268(1)(b) and (2)(b) |
Two details people often miss. First, the law does not treat Sunday differently from Saturday: what matters is whether the day is your weekly rest day, mandatory or complementary, and both carry the same +50% supplement. Second, the doubled rates in the right-hand column apply automatically once you pass 100 overtime hours in the same calendar year (Art. 268(2), wording of Law 13/2023).
Worked example
Hugo earns 1,200€ gross on a 40h week. Last month he worked 5 overtime hours on working days (3 of them as the 1st hour of a day, 2 as following hours) and 4 hours on a Sunday, his mandatory rest day. Still under 100 hours for the year.
- Hourly rate: 1,200 × 12 ÷ (52 × 40) = 6.92€/h
- 3h × 6.92 × 1.25 (1st hour) = 25.95€
- 2h × 6.92 × 1.375 (following hours) = 19.03€
- 4h × 6.92 × 1.50 (weekly rest day) = 41.52€
- Total owed: 86.50€, plus one paid compensatory rest day (Art. 229(4))
Legal limits (Art. 228)
- Daily limit: 2 overtime hours on a normal working day.
- Annual limit, medium and large companies: 150 hours.
- Annual limit, micro and small companies: 175 hours.
- Part-time workers: 80 hours per year, or the proportion of the schedule if higher.
- Collective agreements: can raise the annual limit up to 200 hours.
- Legitimate refusal: you can ask to be excused for a valid reason such as health or family care (Art. 227(3)).
Compensatory rest (Art. 229)
Compensatory rest exists on top of the payment, not instead of it, in two situations: overtime that prevented your 11-hour daily rest entitles you to paid rest equal to the missing hours, and work on your mandatory weekly rest day entitles you to one full paid rest day, both to be taken within the next 3 working days. A different rule applies to normal (non-overtime) work on a public holiday in companies exempt from closing: there the employer chooses between compensatory rest of half the hours worked or a +50% supplement (Art. 269(2)).
Frequently asked questions
My employer does not pay overtime. What can I do?
First, gather evidence: emails requesting the extra hours, time records (which you have the right to consult at any moment), messages, witnesses. Then ask for payment in writing. If the company refuses, file a complaint with the ACT, since not paying overtime under Arts. 268(1) and (2) is a serious offence. You can also claim the amounts in the labour court, with interest. Claims expire 1 year after the contract ends (Art. 337).
The company wants to give me time off instead of money. Is that legal?
Only if a collective agreement or a written agreement between you and the company provides for it. The default rule is payment in money. The old regime that gave extra rest time instead of pay was revoked in 2012, so the company cannot impose it on its own. Do not confuse this with the compensatory rest of Art. 229, which is owed on top of the payment.
Do meal allowance and bonuses count towards the hourly rate?
No. Art. 271 computes the hourly rate from the monthly base salary. Meal allowance, transport allowance, commissions and one-off bonuses stay out of the formula. Seniority payments (diuturnidades) are treated as part of the base for most purposes; if in doubt, check your payslip categories.
I have a working hours exemption. Do these rules apply to me?
It depends on the type of exemption (isenção de horário, Arts. 218 and 219). In the broad modality, extra hours on normal working days are generally not paid as overtime, because the exemption allowance already covers them (Art. 265). In the limited modalities, hours beyond the agreed extension do count as overtime. Work on rest days and holidays is overtime for everyone, exempt or not. Check what your written exemption agreement says.
I worked 12 hours in one day. How does that count?
If your normal day is 8 hours, you did 4 overtime hours: the 1st at +25% and the following 3 at +37.5% each. Note that the daily limit is 2 overtime hours on working days (Art. 228), so the company is in breach, but you keep the right to be paid for everything you worked. You can report the excess to the ACT.
I work part-time. Does overtime exist for me?
Yes, above your contracted schedule. If you are contracted for 20h/week and work 22h, those 2 hours follow Art. 268. The hourly rate formula uses your real weekly hours (20, not 40). For 460€ on 20h: 460 × 12 ÷ (52 × 20) = 5.31€/h. Your annual overtime limit is lower too: 80 hours, or the proportion of your schedule if higher (Art. 228(1)(c)).
Related tools
Go further
Guide: overtime pay in Portugal →
Rates, refusal rights, exemption regimes and what to do when the company does not pay.
Net salary calculator →
What lands in your account after IRS and Social Security.
Guide: working time records →
The company must record every overtime hour. Missing records work in your favour.
Guide: working hours limits →
The 8h/40h rule, rest breaks and what counts as working time.
Official sources
This calculator applies the supplements of Art. 268 of the Portuguese Labour Code. Collective agreements can set higher rates, so always check the one covering your sector (published in the BTE). Spotted an error? ola@despacho.pt.