<P> South Korea has the fastest shortening working time in the OECD, which is the result of the government's proactive move to lower working hours at all levels to increase leisure and relaxation time, which introduced the mandatory forty - hour, five - day working week in 2004 for companies with over 1,000 employees . Beyond regular working hours, it is legal to demand up to 12 hours of overtime during the week, plus another 16 hours on weekends . The 40 - hour workweek expanded to companies with 300 employees or more in 2005, 100 employees or more in 2006, 50 or more in 2007, 20 or more in 2008 and a full inclusion to all workers nationwide in July 2011 . The government has continuously increased public holidays to 16 days in 2013, more than the 10 days of the United States and double that of the United Kingdom's 8 days . Despite those efforts, South Korea's work hours are still relatively long, with an average 2,163 hours per year in 2012 . </P> <P> Work hours in Japan are decreasing, but many Japanese still work long hours . Recently, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) issued a draft report recommending major changes to the regulations that govern working hours . The centerpiece of the proposal is an exemption from overtime pay for white - collar workers . Japan has enacted an 8 - hour work day and 40 - hour work week (44 hours in specified workplaces). The overtime limits are: 15 hours a week, 27 hours over two weeks, 43 hours over four weeks, 45 hours a month, 81 hours over two months and 120 hours over three months; however, some workers get around these restrictions by working several hours a day without' clocking in' whether physically or metaphorically . The overtime allowance should not be lower than 125% and not more than 150% of the normal hourly rate . </P> <P> In most European Union countries, working time is gradually decreasing . The European Union's working time directive imposes a 48 - hour maximum working week that applies to every member state except the United Kingdom and Malta (which have an opt - out, meaning that UK - based employees may work longer than 48 hours if they wish, but they cannot be forced to do so). France has enacted a 35 - hour workweek by law, and similar results have been produced in other countries through collective bargaining . A major reason for the low annual hours worked in Europe is a relatively high amount of paid annual leave . Fixed employment comes with four to six weeks of holiday as standard . In the UK, for example, full - time employees are entitled to 28 days of paid leave a year . It is commonly understood working hours in the UK are 09.00 to 17.00 . </P> <P> Mexican laws mandate a maximum of 48 hours of work per week, but they are rarely observed or enforced due to loopholes in the law, the volatility of labor rights in Mexico, and its underdevelopment relative to other members countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Indeed, private sector employees often work overtime without receiving overtime compensation . Fear of unemployment and threats by employers explain in part why the 48 - hour work week is disregarded. . </P>

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