What does the Shops & Establishments Act say about working hours in Myanmar?
Myanmar's Shops & Establishments Act caps regular working hours for offices, retail outlets, restaurants, and service establishments at 8 per day and 44 per week. It mandates a 30-minute break after 5 hours of continuous work, one weekly rest day, OT authorisation, and basic record-keeping enforced by the township labour office.
What Myanmar law says
The Shops & Establishments Act governs working hours in Myanmar's non-factory workplaces — offices, retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, banks, professional services, and similar. Its core ceiling is 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week. The Act sits alongside the Factories Act 1951, which covers manufacturing; together, the two statutes cover most private-sector employment.
The Act is enforced by the township labour office, which can inspect at any reasonable time and demand the attendance register, OT log, and leave register. Penalties for non-compliance start at fines and remediation orders; repeat offences can escalate to licence-related actions for retail and restaurant operations.
S&E Act hours rules
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Daily regular hours | 8 |
| Weekly regular hours | 44 |
| Continuous work limit | 5 hours |
| Mandatory break | 30 minutes |
| Weekly rest | 1 day (Sunday default) |
| OT cap (typical) | ~4 hrs/day, ~60 hrs/week incl. OT |
| Weekday OT rate | 2× basic |
| Weekend OT rate | 2× basic |
| Public holiday rate | 3× basic |
| OT authorisation | In writing or by established practice |
Edge cases
- 5-day vs 5.5-day office — both legal so long as total weekly hours ≤ 44.
- Retail / restaurants — typically run 6 days; rotational rest is the norm.
- Banks — Saturday closure per Central Bank notification; full Mon–Fri.
- Mixed-site factory + office — apply S&E to office workers, Factories Act to floor staff.
- Hospitality 24-hour operations — shift rotations with one weekly rest each, OT for shifts crossing midnight.
Records and inspections
The S&E Act requires the employer to keep an attendance register, OT log, leave register, and payslip records. Retain ≥ 7 years. The township labour office inspects on notice or by complaint and cross-checks the registers against payslips for OT consistency.
Employer takeaway
Run Myanmar offices, retail, and restaurants under the S&E Act at 8 hrs/day and 44 hrs/week, with a 30-minute break after 5 continuous hours and one weekly rest day. Authorise OT in writing and pay at the statutory rate. Retain registers for 7 years. Township labour office inspections target the OT log most heavily.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the S&E 44-hour cap with the Factories 48-hour cap.
- Running retail or restaurant staff for 60+ hours per week during peak season without OT.
- Failing to designate a weekly rest day for shift workers in restaurants and hotels.
- Treating "salary covers all OT" — the S&E Act requires statutory OT for hours past 44/week regardless of contract wording.
Related reading: office standard week, Factories Act hours, and how OT is authorised.
- Shops and Establishments Act — Hours, breaks, weekly rest, OT
- Compliance Calendar — Township labour office inspections
- Factories Act 1951 — for sector delineation
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