Overtime Calculator (Belize)

The overtime rule in Belize

Overtime in Belize is set by the Labour Act, Chapter 297 (Revised Edition 2020), Part X, sections 116 and 118. Section 116 caps normal work at nine hours of actual work in any day, forty-five hours in any week, and six days in any week. Section 118(1)(d) then requires that work "for hours worked in excess of nine hours in any day or forty-five hours in any week" be paid "at a rate of not less than one and one-half times his ordinary rate of pay." The daily and weekly limits operate independently — you earn overtime as soon as either is crossed, whichever comes first.

The same section also fixes premium pay for work on rest days and public holidays. Section 118(1)(c) covers Sundays or other agreed rest days, and section 118(1)(b) covers ordinary public holidays, both at not less than 1.5x. Section 118(1)(a) singles out Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday at not less than double (2x) the ordinary rate.

Belize overtime rates at a glance

"Ordinary rate of pay" is the worker's basic hourly wage. The national minimum wage is BZ$5.00 per hour, effective 1 January 2023 (Statutory Instruments 169 and 170 of 2022), so most overtime is calculated on at least that base.

Worked example

Suppose Maria earns the minimum wage of BZ$5.00 per hour and works 52 hours in a week (no holiday or Sunday work), made up of five 9-hour days plus 7 extra hours.

If Maria had instead worked 8 of those hours on Good Friday, those hours would be paid at 2x (BZ$10.00/hour) rather than 1.5x. Belize uses the dollar sign with two decimals (BZ$277.50).

Rest days, holidays and night work

Under section 115, no worker is obliged to work on a public holiday or on the agreed weekly rest day (typically Sunday), and section 116 guarantees at least one rest day per week. When rest-day or holiday work is performed, the premiums in section 118 above apply. The Act does not set a separate statutory night-shift pay premium: section 122 deals with "night rest" (a rest entitlement), not a night differential. Shift workers may, under section 123, be averaged over a three-week cycle without overtime if the average stays within the daily/weekly limits. Any night premium must come from a contract, collective agreement or wages-council order, not from a general statute.

Caps, exemptions and enforcement

Section 119 lists workers to whom the hours-and-overtime rules (sections 115–118) do not apply: persons in positions of supervision or management or employed in a confidential capacity; shop assistants under the Shops Act; certain resident watchmen guarding agricultural property under 100 acres; and piece- or task-rate workers not under continuous supervision. The Minister may also grant Order-based exemptions on application to the Commissioner.

Enforcement sits with the Labour Department under the Labour Commissioner, within the Ministry responsible for Labour. Workers who are underpaid can file a complaint at a Labour Department office; unresolved disputes may go before the Labour Complaints Tribunal. Keep your own record of hours and pay slips, as section 118 sets a floor that contracts and collective agreements may exceed but never undercut.

What is the overtime rate in Belize?

Not less than 1.5 times your ordinary rate for hours over 9 in a day or 45 in a week, under Labour Act Cap. 297, s.118(1)(d).

Is overtime based on daily or weekly hours?

Both. You earn 1.5x once you pass 9 hours in a day or 45 hours in a week, whichever happens first.

Do holidays pay double in Belize?

Only Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday pay 2x. Other public holidays and Sundays/rest days pay 1.5x (s.118(1)(a)–(c)).

Is there a night-shift premium?

Not in the Labour Act. Section 122 grants night rest, not extra pay. Any night premium comes from a contract or collective agreement.

Who is exempt from overtime?

Managers, supervisors, confidential-capacity staff, shop assistants, certain resident agricultural watchmen, and unsupervised piece/task workers (s.119).