Overtime in Costa Rica: when workers can claim it, how much they should receive and when claims expire

Does answering a boss’s WhatsApp message at night count as overtime? Marcela Acosta, founding partner of the Quatro Legal law firm, addresses that question and other doubts about overtime pay in Costa Rica.

Acosta explains when overtime becomes payable, how workers should calculate it and what limits apply. She also discusses how long workers have to make a claim and which forms of evidence may support it.

The article presents the guidance as a practical explanation of overtime rights, including the circumstances in which after-hours communication with an employer may become relevant to a payment claim.