Labor Law

What are the rules for night shift work in Israel and does it require extra pay?

A night shift in Israel is capped at seven hours rather than the usual daily maximum, and there is no statutory night premium. The Hours of Work and Rest Law 5711-1951 defines night work as a shift including at least two hours between 22:00 and 06:00, limits that shift to seven hours, and restricts an employee to no more than one week of night work in three unless a collective agreement or a permit provides otherwise. The eighth hour and every hour after it is paid as overtime.

The seven-hour rule is what makes night work expensive for employers. Because the standard shift is shortened, hours worked beyond the seventh count as overtime, paid at 125% for the first two overtime hours and 150% for each hour after that. Employers who roster an eight-hour or twelve-hour night shift and pay a flat rate are therefore usually underpaying, and the Labor Court will recalculate the wage on the statutory basis. Sector extension orders and collective agreements sometimes add a genuine night differential or an even shorter shift, and where they apply they override the statutory floor in the employee's favour.

Foreign employees in hospitality, care work, security, logistics and manufacturing are the most affected, and these are also the sectors where attendance records are weakest. Israeli law places the burden of keeping accurate hourly records on the employer, and where records are missing the Labor Court will generally accept the employee's account of the hours worked. Keep your own log of shift start and end times and check it against the payslip, which must itemise ordinary and overtime hours separately. Claims carry a seven-year limitation period, so unpaid night and overtime entitlements from earlier years can often still be recovered.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Hours of Work and Rest Law 5711-1951 (night work definition, seven-hour shift, rotation limit); Wage Protection Law 5718-1958 (payslip itemisation)
  • Competent authority: Regional Labor Court (Beit Din Ezori LeAvoda); enforcement by the Regulation and Enforcement Administration of the Ministry of Labor
  • Overtime rates: 125% of the ordinary hourly wage for the first two hours beyond the shift maximum, and 150% for each hour after that
  • Rotation limit: no more than one week of night work in three, absent a permit or an applicable collective agreement
  • Limitation: labour claims must generally be filed within seven years; keep payslips and a personal shift log covering that period

From the full guide: Working Hours and Overtime Pay in Israel: A Complete Guide for Foreign Employees


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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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