Israelis generally work from 8:30h until 18:00h, Sunday through Thursday. Some Israelis also work Friday mornings until 12:00h. Many businesses close early Friday afternoon in order to observe the Jewish holy day (Shabbat) which begins at sundown on Friday and ends sundown on Saturday. During this time, businesses and public transportation are closed.
All workers are entitled to 36 hours of consecutive rest during the week. This is usually taken on Friday and Saturday, but you may negotiate this with your employer. Some jobs require you to work Saturdays (e.g. service industry workers, some government officials, pilots), but you will be given other rest days as compensation.
If you work for a bank or for some government organisations, your hours might be longer or shorter. If you're looking for a more chilled-out work environment, you might want search for a bank job because banks are only open five hours a day (seven hours on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday).
Israeli Salaries
Salaries in Israel are typically lower than in European and North American countries. At the same time, the cost of living in Israel is higher than in many other countries. However, you can still have a decent lifestyle without saving every penny.
Business managers, computer engineers, doctors and lawyers have some of the highest median salaries in Israel. As a doctor, you might earn between 120,000 and 160,000 shekels annually. A lawyer might earn between 70,000 and 100,000 shekels annually.
The minimum annual salary in Israel is about 35,000 shekels. Teachers and nurses should expect an annual median salary of 60,000 to 70,000 shekels. People who are self-employed can expect to make an annual median salary of 110,000 to 120,000 shekels (2010).
Overtime payments
Israel has a fairly standard policy on overtime pay for wage workers. For the first two hours of overtime, employers pay you 1.25 of your hourly wage. For every hour after that, employers pay you 1.5 of your hourly wage.
Holidays and vacations
Israel observes Jewish holidays. There are nine national holidays, which include Passover and the Jewish New Year. The specific dates of these holidays change every year because the holidays are on the Jewish calendar.
Employees are entitled to 1-3 weeks of paid annual vacation. The length of time you have worked at your company determines how much paid vacation you receive.
Sick pay
Your company covers paid sick leave. You must have a doctor's note in order to receive sick pay. You typically get about 35% of your wages for the second and third day of work you miss. From the fourth day onwards, you get 75% of your wages.