There have been major developments in the employment and labor laws in Cambodia. Today, the law protects women and employees of all ages, origins, and castes. It promises equal pay, equal choice of profession, and believes that all employees are entitled to weekly days off.
Equal Pay
The Cambodian Constitution follows the principle of equal pay for equal work and looks down on discriminating against women. The work done by housewives at home is of the same value as that done by women outside the house.
The labor law does not allow discrimination in wages based on sex, origin, age, and caste. Wage is meant to be equal for all workers who work the same job and have the same professional skills and output.
Equal Choice of Profession
The law places no restrictive measures on jobs, which means that women can work in the same industries as their male counterparts. Both genders are entitled to actively participate in Cambodia’s political, economic, social, and cultural life.
The grant of the State will give full consideration to the suggestions of its people. All citizens are entitled to choose any job based on their ability, intelligence, and the needs of society.
Overtime Compensation
Usual working hours in Cambodia are 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week. Employers are permitted to let workers work overtime as long as the total working hours do not exceed 10 hours a day unless extraordinary circumstances prevail.
Employers may adjust normal working hours to give Saturday afternoons and Sundays off to all workers. However, normal working hours must not exceed 9 hours per day. Overtime is only allowed for exceptional, urgent work that has not been completed in normal working hours. If an employee chooses not to work overtime, an employer may not impose a penalty on him. Moreover, employers cannot assign overtime work without permission from the Ministry of Labor. The authorization letters limit overtime working hours to 2 hours per day.
Employers are required to pay at least 150% of the usual wage to employees who work overtime in the day. For those who work overtime during the night (22:00 to 05:00), the overtime rate is 200% of the wage.
Weekly Rest Days
Workers are allowed 24 consecutive hours of rest every week. The Cambodian labor law states that Sundays should be rest days for all employees. However, if giving time off on the same day to all employees jeopardizes the work operation, weekly rest can be provided on a rotational basis. In such cases, permission letters need to be signed by the Ministry of Labor.
Guards, caretakers, and drivers who work in industrial and commercial establishments and cannot take Sundays off are eligible to a compensatory time off some other day during the week. In retail stores, weekly breaks can be given on rotation from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon. Authorization from the Labor Inspector may cause a weekly rest day to be canceled if it falls close to a local public holiday. However, in this case, the worker needs to be given compensatory time off the following week.
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