The form of the contract and the basic working-time limits differ more than many employers expect. The UAE requires fixed-term contracts and Saudi Arabia requires them for non-Saudi workers, while India now requires an appointment letter for every worker and France requires writing for fixed-term and part-time contracts. Most markets cap normal hours at around 48 a week, but France uses a 35-hour legal week and Germany limits the working day to eight hours unless averaged.
Form of the contract
India's labour codes, in force since 21 November 2025, make appointment letters mandatory for all workers. In the UAE, private-sector employment contracts on the mainland must be for a definite period, renewable by agreement. Saudi Arabia requires a written, fixed-term contract for non-Saudi workers; if no term is stated the contract runs for one year from the start date.
France takes a different approach: a full-time permanent contract (CDI) generally need not be in writing, but fixed-term (CDD) and part-time contracts must be, and an unwritten CDD can be reclassified as a full-time CDI. For a group using a single template, these differences mean the template must be adapted to each market rather than translated.12345
Working hours and overtime
India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia all cap normal hours at 48 a week, with Saudi hours reduced for Muslim workers during Ramadan to six a day or 36 a week. India pays overtime at twice the ordinary rate. Germany caps the working day at eight hours, extendable to ten only if the average stays at eight over six months or 24 weeks. France's legal week is 35 hours, with absolute limits of 10 hours a day and 48 in any week.
Singapore limits the scope of its hours rules: Part 4 of the Employment Act on hours and overtime does not cover managers and executives and applies only to workmen earning up to S$4,500 a month and other employees earning up to S$2,600. A mid-level professional in Singapore is therefore usually outside the statutory overtime regime, whereas the same role in France or Germany is not.67891011
Annual leave
Leave minimums also vary. Almost all UK workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday, capped at 28 days, which may include bank holidays. Germany sets a statutory minimum of 24 working days, counted on a six-day week, and collective agreements and contracts often go further.1213
| Market | Contract form | Normal hours limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Appointment letter mandatory for all workers | 48 hours a week; overtime at twice the ordinary rate | Ministry of Labour and Employment; labour codes summary |
| UAE (mainland) | Definite-period contract, renewable | 8 hours a day or 48 a week | Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 |
| Saudi Arabia | Written fixed-term contract for non-Saudis (one year if no term stated) | 8 hours a day or 48 a week; 6 or 36 in Ramadan for Muslim workers | Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development |
| Singapore | Not researched here | Statutory hours rules do not cover managers and executives | Ministry of Manpower |
| Germany | Not researched here | 8 hours a working day; up to 10 if averaged to 8 | Working Time Act s3 |
| France | CDD and part-time must be written; full-time CDI generally need not be | 35-hour legal week; maximum 10 a day and 48 a week | Service-Public |
Decisions to make
- Can our standard employment contract be used unchanged in each market?345The UAE requires a definite term, Saudi Arabia a written fixed term for non-Saudis, and France writing for fixed-term and part-time contracts.
- Is the role inside or outside the statutory overtime regime?116109Singapore's hours rules exclude managers and executives, while India pays overtime at double time and France and Germany cap hours for most staff.
- Will we offer a single group holiday policy?1213Statutory minimums differ, for example 5.6 weeks in the UK and 24 working days on a six-day basis in Germany.
- In India, have the relevant state rules under the labour codes been notified?1The codes are central law, but implementation detail depends on state rules.
Documents usually needed
- Market-specific employment contract or appointment letter
- Working-time and overtime policy, with records of hours where the law requires them
- Holiday policy showing the statutory minimum for each country
- Fixed-term renewal schedule for UAE and Saudi contracts
Common mistakes
- Issuing open-ended contracts in the UAE where a definite period is required
- Treating all staff in Singapore as outside the hours rules without checking salary and role
- Applying a 48-hour working-time model in France
- Assuming India's labour codes apply uniformly without checking the state rules
Questions businesses ask
Do UAE employment contracts have to be fixed-term?
On the mainland, yes: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 requires contracts for a definite period, renewable by agreement. The DIFC and ADGM have their own employment laws.3
Does French law require every employment contract to be in writing?
No. A full-time permanent contract generally does not, unless a collective agreement requires it, but fixed-term and part-time contracts must be written.5
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- US federal law does not set general paid leave or daily hours limits; state rules were not researched.
- Contract-form rules in Singapore, the UK and Germany (for example the UK written statement and the German Nachweisgesetz) were not researched for this module.
- India's working-hours figures rest on a secondary summary of the codes; state rules vary.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
The four labour codes (Code on Wages, 2019; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Code on Social Security, 2020; Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020) took effect on 21 November 2025, rationalising 29 existing labour laws. Central laws; states notify their own rules for implementation in their territory.
Reused from market guide claim in-people-001.
The labour codes make appointment letters mandatory for all workers. Central labour codes.
Reused from market guide claim in-people-002.
Employment contracts must be concluded for a definite period, renewable by agreement. Mainland employers under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
The English text opened may not reflect later amendments; check the consolidated version. Reused from market guide claim ae-people-002.
A non-Saudi worker's employment contract must be written and fixed-term; if no term is stated, the contract runs for one year from the actual start date. Non-Saudi workers under the Labor Law; continued work after expiry renews the contract for a similar term.
Reused from market guide claim sa-people-011.
Fixed-term contracts (CDD) and part-time contracts must be in writing, whereas a full-time permanent contract (CDI) generally does not need to be in writing. A collective agreement may require a written CDI. A CDD that is not in writing can be reclassified as a full-time CDI.
Written-information duties on the employer that may apply even without a written CDI were not covered by this page. Reused from market guide claim fr-people-g10.
Working hours are capped at 48 hours a week, with overtime paid at twice the ordinary rate, and a four-day week is permitted but not mandated. Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020; state rules set detailed spread-over and rest rules.
Secondary source; the Code text could not yet be checked. Reused from market guide claim in-people-009.
Maximum normal working hours are 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week. Mainland private sector. Overtime is paid at a premium.
Reused from market guide claim ae-people-004.
Working time may not exceed eight actual hours a day or 48 hours a week, reduced for Muslim workers during Ramadan to six hours a day or 36 hours a week. Private-sector workers under the Labor Law; exceptions exist for certain categories.
Reused from market guide claim sa-people-005.
Daily working time in Germany may not exceed eight hours on a working day, and may be extended to ten hours only if an average of eight hours per working day is not exceeded over six calendar months or 24 weeks. Working Time Act (ArbZG). Collective agreements and specific sectors may deviate within the Act.
The legal working week for full-time private-sector employees is 35 hours (151.67 hours a month, 1,607 hours a year); effective working time may not exceed 10 hours a day, 48 hours in any one week or an average of 44 hours a week over 12 consecutive weeks. Collective agreements may set a different weekly duration and allow up to 12 hours a day in some cases; up to 60 hours in a week is possible in exceptional circumstances with labour inspectorate approval. A break of at least 20 minutes is due after 6 consecutive hours of work.
Minimum daily and weekly rest periods were not stated on this page. Reused from market guide claim fr-people-g06.
Part 4 of the Employment Act on hours of work and overtime does not cover managers and executives; it covers workmen earning a basic monthly salary of S$4,500 or less and other employees earning S$2,600 or less. Common arrangements are capped at 44 contractual hours a week.
Reused from market guide claim sg-people-002.
Almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers may count bank holidays within it. Great Britain guidance; pro rata for part-time workers.
Reused from market guide claim gb-people-006.
The statutory minimum annual leave in Germany is 24 working days, counting every calendar day that is not a Sunday or a public holiday as a working day. Federal Leave Act (BUrlG). The count is based on a six-day week; contracts and collective agreements often grant more.
Questions on this topic
13 statements on employment contracts and working time
