Mauritius explores transition to 40-hour work week

The Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations in Mauritius has launched a call for tenders to study the feasibility of introducing a 40-hour work week. This proposed reform would reduce the current legal working limit of 45 hours established by the Workers’ Rights Act of 2019.

The initiative aims to address worker fatigue and stress, marking a potential shift in the nation's labor landscape. Legal experts note that the demand for reduced working hours has been a central labor movement issue in Mauritius since the general strikes of 1979, following a long history of evolving work schedules from colonial-era 50-to-55-hour weeks.