On October 22, 2024 the Ministry of Labor issued Ministerial Agreement No. MDT-2024-200, which regulates the temporary modification of working hours in response to the national emergency in the electricity sector.
The Agreement seeks to make working hours more flexible during the national emergency, guaranteeing overtime pay and adequate rest for workers. Emphasis is placed on the need to formally register any modification agreement.
The main objective is to allow employers and workers to agree on working hours different from the contractual ones, up to 10 hours per day (40 hours per week maximum), during the electrical emergency. Two possible working hours are specified: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, or from Thursday to Sunday.
An additional rest day is guaranteed in addition to the regular 48 hours per week, after 40 consecutive hours of work under the modified workday.
The Agreement between employer and employee must be registered in the Unified Labor System (SUT) within 30 days following the agreement. The information must be posted at the work center.
The modification of the workday ends at the end of the electrical emergency or by agreement between the parties.
Quito D.M. / Guayaquil October 2024
