What do working hours mean?
Working hours refer to the time an employee is expected to work under an employment contract, company policy, or local labour rules. They may be stated as daily hours, weekly hours, shift hours, core hours, flexible hours, or required overlap hours for remote teams.
Working hours are closely connected to payroll. They can affect overtime, night shift differential, holiday pay, unpaid leave, timesheets, attendance records, and final pay. If working hours are unclear, employees and managers may have different expectations about availability, response time, meetings, and extra work.
In remote teams, working hours should be especially clear. A company may hire someone in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, or Thailand while the main team sits in another country. Without agreed working hours or overlap hours, communication and workload planning can become difficult.
Why working hours matter
Working hours matter because they shape the employee’s day-to-day experience. They also affect salary calculations, overtime exposure, scheduling, payroll records, and employee wellbeing.
When hiring in Southeast Asia, companies should avoid copying one working-hours policy across every country. Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand each have their own rules on normal working time, overtime, rest days, public holidays, and leave. In Indonesia, Government Regulation No. 35 of 2021 covers working time, rest time, overtime work, and overtime wages.
Working hours are also important during recruitment. If a role requires evening calls, weekend support, rotating shifts, or overlap with Singapore, Australia, Europe, or the US, the job posting and employment contract should make this clear before the candidate accepts the offer.
Weshine’s recruitment service can support companies in defining role requirements before hiring. For payroll-related working time items such as overtime, leave, and payslips, Weshine’s payroll service can support employers managing teams across Southeast Asia.
What should companies clarify about working hours?
Note: This table is a planning guide. Working-hours rules may vary by country, role, industry, employment contract, and current local regulations.
Normal working hours in Southeast Asia
These are the normal working hours set by law. Work beyond them is usually overtime.
Note: This table is a general guide. Hazardous work, shift work and some roles have different limits, so check the local rules for the role.
Common mistakes companies should avoid
A common mistake is saying a role is “flexible” without defining what flexibility means. Employees still need to know when they should be available, when meetings happen, and how urgent communication is handled.
Another mistake is ignoring overtime risk. If employees regularly work beyond agreed hours, the company should check whether overtime pay, TOIL, night shift differential, or holiday pay applies.
Companies should also avoid assuming remote employees are always available. Remote work does not mean unlimited availability. Clear working hours help protect both productivity and employee wellbeing.
