UK working time rules explained for hospitality employers

A worker’s average working time, including overtime, must not exceed 48 hours per week. The average is normally calculated over a 17-week reference period.

Workers can choose to opt out by signing a written agreement. The opt-out must be voluntary and they can cancel it with at least 7 days’ notice (up to 3 months if specified in the agreement).

Adult workers are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24-hour period. In practice this means a closing shift ending at midnight should not be followed by an opening shift starting before 11am.

Adult workers are entitled to one uninterrupted 24-hour rest period per week, or 48 hours every fortnight. This is in addition to the daily rest.

A worker who works more than 6 hours is entitled to an uninterrupted break of at least 20 minutes. The break should be taken during the shift, not at the start or end, and it doesn’t need to be paid unless your contract says so.

Workers aged 16 or 17 get stricter limits: a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, 12 hours of daily rest, 48 hours of weekly rest, and a 30-minute break for any shift over 4.5 hours. Under-18s cannot opt out of the 40-hour limit.

Employers must keep records adequate to show whether the 48-hour weekly limit and night-work limits are being complied with, and keep them for at least two years. Modern rota software handles this automatically.