täistööaega

Täistööaeg is a term used in Estonia to describe full-time employment, where an employee works the standard number of hours defined by law or the employment contract. It implies a regular, full schedule and the accompanying level of pay and benefits typical for a full-time position.

In Estonia the common standard is about 40 hours per week, usually distributed as eight hours per day over five days. However, the exact weekly hours can vary by sector, collective agreement, or employer policy. Some roles may use flexitime, compressed work weeks, or shift patterns, as long as the overall working time complies with applicable rules.

Täistööaeg is defined and regulated by Estonian labor law, notably the Employment Contracts Act and the Labour Code. It is distinguished from part-time work (osa-tööaeg), where the weekly working time is less than the standard full-time amount. Overtime work is allowed under certain conditions and must be compensated with higher pay or time off; rest periods and paid annual leave also apply, proportional to the working time. EU working time rules, implemented in national law, set practical limits on average weekly hours over a reference period.

In practice, job advertisements that mention täistööaeg indicate a full-time schedule as opposed to part-time positions. For employees, full-time work typically comes with standard wage, benefits, and leave entitlements aligned to the contractual hours.