QCOSTARICA – The number of working hours of Costa Ricans (Ticos) increased, tripling the average of the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) but their productivity fell.
The OECD (Costa Rica officially became a member in 2021) reports that the average annual hours worked in Costa Rica, increased by 160 hours, more than triple the increase registered by the OECD as a whole (47), with a total of 2,073 hours (a figure that exceeds pre-pandemic levels).
With this figure, Costa Rica remains the second OECD country with the most annual work hours per person, only surpassed by Mexico.
“The increase in the number of working hours must be accompanied by particular attention to the health and safety of employees,” said Marvell Alcocer, a graduate in Occupational Health, lawyer and former consultant to the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Read more: Which Nationalities Work The Longest Hours? Costa Rica Is Second.
How many hours do people work in Costa Rica?
Employees in Costa Rica work 48 hours per week, divided into six 8-hour days. Employees are entitled to one day off per week Any work over 48 hours in a week is considered overtime, and is paid at 150% of regular wages. On legal holidays or weekly rest days, that amount is doubled. Overtime work cannot exceed four hours per day