5 Countries with the Longest Working Hours in the World

4. Congo

Average Hours per Week: 48.6

The Congolese Labor Code dictates a maximum workweek of 45 hours and a maximum workday of 9 hours. These regulations apply to every public or private establishment, including those directed towards education or charity. Importantly, there are no legal variations in these limits based on gender or job type. While there’s no explicit prohibition on mandatory overtime, the DRC mandates increased compensation for overtime work, ranging from a 30% to 60% pay increase depending on the hours worked and the day involved.

The fact that the average work hours per week are higher could be due to the employees working for longer hours in the informal sectors.