Is overtime governed by law in Pakistan? If so, what are the specifics outlined by law?

In Pakistan, overtime is governed by law and outlined in our Employee Handbook. Overtime is payable to supported employees if they work in excess of 9 hours per day or 48 hours per week.

Supported employees must apply to their department heads or direct supervisors for overtime work. Upon approval, they can then apply for an overtime pay entitlement application. For incidental maintenance and emergency repair work that cannot be applied for in advance, employees must still notify their department heads or supervisors via email in advance.

When submitting an overtime pay entitlement application, employees should clearly state the reason for overtime work, the actual period of overtime work (including start and end times), and obtain approval from their supervisors.

Typically, overtime may range from 2 to 3 hours daily, depending on business needs. The daily spreadover, which refers to the total time from entry to exit from the workplace, is 12 hours.

How many days before the actual start date should the employment agreement be signed for payroll purposes in Pakistan?

For payroll purposes in Pakistan, the employment agreement needs to be signed before the payroll cutoff, ideally before the 12th of the month.