Working Hours in China

Standard hours are 8/day and 40/week unless a lawful special system applies.

The Labor Law’s standard system is the default. Overtime then has daily and monthly limits and statutory premium rates. A comprehensive-calculation system averages hours over a cycle; an irregular system is for roles where hours cannot be planned. Both usually need labour-bureau approval or a local filing and still require rest and, in many cases, overtime pay when the cycle is exceeded. A handbook line that says ‘flexible hours’ does not by itself create an irregular system.

The classification screen

4 questions before you choose the route.

This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.

Which hour system is actually registered?

Standard, comprehensive, or irregular — look for the approval, not the offer letter.

System

What hours are worked in practice?

Badge data, WeCom logs and weekend WeChat often beat the contract clause.

Facts

Is this a special post that can use irregular hours?

Senior management, field sales and some drivers are typical candidates — not every office job.

Role

Which city’s rules apply?

Approval forms and overtime culture differ across cities.

City

Working rule: The Labor Law’s standard system is the default. Overtime then has daily and monthly limits and statutory premium rates.

What changes the answer

The signal ledger.

These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.

Signal

Ask the operating question

Why it changes the route

Unapproved ‘flexible’ clause

Did you tell staff they are on irregular hours without a bureau approval?

Overtime claims then usually run on the standard system.

Cycle overtime

Under a comprehensive system, did hours in the cycle exceed the legal average?

The premium still attaches to the excess, not only to a given Saturday.

On-call and WeChat

Is night customer chat treated as rest?

Whether it is working time is a facts-and-control question.

Prepare before you escalate

Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.

Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.

01Hour-system approvalBureau filing or approval, posts covered, and expiry.

02Contract and handbookStated system, rest days and overtime approval process.

03Time recordsClock data, rosters and electronic logs for the claim period.

04City noticeLocal implementing rule for comprehensive or irregular systems.

Common confusions

Questions people ask before they build.

Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.

Can a manager be ‘on irregular hours’ by title alone?

Title is not enough. The post must fit the local catalogue or approval, and rest plus wage protection still apply.

Is 996 lawful?

A routine 9-9-6 pattern on the standard system will usually exceed overtime limits and premium-pay rules. It is not a lawful default.

Primary authorities

Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.

National laws database (NPC)

PRC Labor Law (NPC)

PRC Labor Contract Law (gov.cn)

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security