{"id":178488,"date":"2022-11-20T16:05:35","date_gmt":"2022-11-20T16:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=178488"},"modified":"2026-03-30T06:20:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T05:20:21","slug":"unsocial-working-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Unsocial working hours describe any time an employee works outside standard business hours or typical working days. Many industries depend on staff who work nights, early mornings, evenings, and weekends to keep operations running. This article will explore the legal framework and provide information on best practices surrounding unsocial hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are Unsocial Working Hours?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While there is no official definition of unsocial working hours, unsocial working hours (also commonly referred to as anti-social hours) generally refer to any period an employee works outside conventional working hours.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conventional working hours are usually either\/or:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>standard business hours between 9 am and 5 pm; or&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>standard business working days (i.e. Monday through Friday).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, weekends can be unsocial working hours. However, such hours can depend on what an individual business deems their regular working hours.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shift workers often work <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acas.org.uk\/working-time-rules\/night-workers\">unsocial working hours<\/a>, which can include, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>night shifts;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>evening shifts;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>early morning shifts; and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>rotating shifts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pay and Unsocial Working Hours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When your staff work unsocial hours, you must, like your other workers, ensure you pay them the <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/national-minimum-wage\/\">National Minimum Wage (NMW)<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/minimum-wage-vs-living-wage\/\">National Living Wage (NLW)<\/a>, where applicable. However, employment law does not require you to pay them more than this set rate simply because they work unsocial hours.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can, of course, choose to pay your staff higher wages when they work unsocial hours. Your employment contract with them should state that you do this, and you will typically have a clause in the contract stating the rate you will pay your employees when they work unsocial hours and what constitutes unsocial working hours in your business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paying your staff more because they work unsocial hours is a discretionary payment called a shift allowance. If you do not pay your staff the shift allowance when their employment contract states that you would, you will likely be in breach of contract. This could result in an employee lodging a claim against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Associated Risks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/rules-on-working-times\/\">staff working unsocial hours<\/a>, you should be aware of the risks that can arise as an employer. Risks can occur for your employees in two main areas: their social lives and sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your employees are working such hours, it can affect their relationships, which can negatively impact their mental health, causing, for example, depression and stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Working unsocial hours, such as night shifts, can cause havoc with your employees\u2019 body clocks, disrupting their sleep patterns. This can result in regular tiredness as well as insomnia. In the long run, studies show that shift workers face higher risks of heart attacks and stroke. Lack of sleep can also lead to mental health issues.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n    <p>In all cases, you owe a general duty to protect your employee\u2019s health, safety and well-being whilst they work for you. Where such hours impact their well-being, you may breach this fundamental obligation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, you must take steps to alleviate the effects of working such hours by conducting risk assessments to understand the potential impact on your staff. This may allow employees to vary shifts outside conventional work hours. Alternatively, where employees work substantial overtime, consider adjusting their workload or granting additional paid time off.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"my-7 lg:my-10 border-y-2 border-gray-100 py-7 lg:py-10 flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-start gap-10\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-52 mx-auto my-0! rounded\" src=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/05\/19023228\/uk-remote-onboarding-marketo.jpg\" alt=\"Front page of publication\"\n                 loading=\"lazy\" width=\"208\" height=\"298\">\n                <section>\n            <div class=\"text-2xl font-bold\">New Employee Onboarding Checklists<\/div>\n            <div class=\"body-text\">\n                <p>Get new employees off to a great start with our New Employee Onboarding Checklists (includes on-site and remote).<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n            \n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/go.legalvision.co.uk\/uk-onboarding-checklists.html\" class=\" block px-5 py-3.5 max-w-fit bg-orange button__hover transition rounded text-white font-bold text-lg no-underline uppercase leading-tight text-center\" target=\"\" rel=\"\">Download Now<\/a>        <\/section>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"not-prose\">0808 196 8584<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact you within one business day.\n                    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n<div class=\"not-prose flex justify-center text-left gform_input_bg_white    \">\n    <script>\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 3.1.\"),o(),0))},initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.callIfLoaded(o)||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.scriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",()=>{gform.domLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}))},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"action\",o,r,e,t)},addFilter:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"filter\",o,r,e,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(\"action\",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(\"filter\",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,r){gform.removeHook(\"action\",o,r)},removeFilter:function(o,r,e){gform.removeHook(\"filter\",o,r,e)},addHook:function(o,r,e,t,n){null==gform.hooks[o][r]&&(gform.hooks[o][r]=[]);var d=gform.hooks[o][r];null==n&&(n=r+\"_\"+d.length),gform.hooks[o][r].push({tag:n,callable:e,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(r,o,e){var t;if(e=Array.prototype.slice.call(e,1),null!=gform.hooks[r][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[r][o]).sort(function(o,r){return o.priority-r.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){\"function\"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),\"action\"==r?t.apply(null,e):e[0]=t.apply(null,e)})),\"filter\"==r)return e[0]},removeHook:function(o,r,t,n){var e;null!=gform.hooks[o][r]&&(e=(e=gform.hooks[o][r]).filter(function(o,r,e){return!!(null!=n&&n!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][r]=e)}});\n<\/script>\n\n                <div class='gf_browser_gecko gform_wrapper gravity-theme gform-theme--no-framework lawyer-form_wrapper gplaceholder_wrapper form-with-labels-no-asterisks_wrapper has-new-validation-error-styling_wrapper' data-form-theme='gravity-theme' data-form-index='0' id='gform_wrapper_2453' style='display:none'><div id='gf_2453' class='gform_anchor' tabindex='-1'><\/div><form method='post' enctype='multipart\/form-data' target='gform_ajax_frame_2453' id='gform_2453' class='lawyer-form gplaceholder form-with-labels-no-asterisks has-new-validation-error-styling' action='\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178488#gf_2453' data-formid='2453' novalidate>\n                        <div class='gform-body gform_body'><div id='gform_fields_2453' class='gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below validation_below'><div id=\"field_2453_1000\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-honeypot gform_validation_container field_sublabel_below gfield--has-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_1000'>X\/Twitter<\/label><div class='ginput_container'><input name='input_1000' id='input_2453_1000' type='text' value='' autocomplete='new-password'\/><\/div><div class='gfield_description' id='gfield_description_2453_1000'>This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.<\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_1\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-text gfield--input-type-text gf_left_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_1'>First Name<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_1' id='input_2453_1' type='text' value='' class='medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_12\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-text gfield--input-type-text gf_right_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_12'>Last Name<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_12' id='input_2453_12' type='text' value='' class='medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_2\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-email gfield--input-type-email gf_left_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_2'>Email Address<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_email'>\n                            <input name='input_2' id='input_2453_2' type='email' value='' class='medium'    aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"  \/>\n                        <\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_3\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-phone gfield--input-type-phone gf_right_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_3'>Phone<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_phone'><input name='input_3' id='input_2453_3' type='tel' value='' class='medium'   aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_14\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-select gfield--input-type-select gfield--width-full custom-select gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_14'>Number of Employees in Your Business<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_select'><select name='input_14' id='input_2453_14' class='large gfield_select'    aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" ><option value='' selected='selected'>Select ...<\/option><option value='0' >0<\/option><option value='1' >1-5<\/option><option value='6' >6-20<\/option><option value='21' >21-50<\/option><option value='51' >51-250<\/option><option value='250' >250+<\/option><\/select><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_4\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-textarea gfield--input-type-textarea gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_4'>Tell us about your enquiry<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_textarea'><textarea name='input_4' id='input_2453_4' class='textarea medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   rows='10' cols='50'><\/textarea><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_5\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-html gfield--input-type-html gfield_html gfield_html_formatted gfield_no_follows_desc field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  >By submitting this form, you agree to receive emails from LegalVision and can unsubscribe at any time. View our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/privacy-notice\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. <\/div><div id=\"field_2453_8\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gfield--input-type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_8' id='input_2453_8' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='http:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178488' \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_13\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gfield--input-type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_13' id='input_2453_13' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='generic_form' \/><\/div><\/div><fieldset id=\"field_2453_999\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-checkbox gfield--type-choice gfield__uk-marketo-opt-in field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><legend class='gfield_label gform-field-label screen-reader-text' ><\/legend><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_checkbox'><div class='gfield_checkbox ' id='input_2453_999'><div class='gchoice gchoice_2453_999_1'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class='gfield-choice-input' name='input_999.1' type='checkbox'  value='1'  id='choice_2453_999_1'   \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for='choice_2453_999_1' id='label_2453_999_1' class='gform-field-label gform-field-label--type-inline'>By submitting this form, you agree to receive content and event invitations from us to help you grow your business. If you do not want to receive such messages, tick here.<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/fieldset><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class='gform-footer gform_footer top_label'> <button type=\"submit\" id=\"gform_submit_button_2453\" class=\"gform_button button\" onclick=\"gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);\" data-submission-type=\"submit\"><span class=\"gform_submit_button__text\">Submit Now<\/span><\/button> <input type='hidden' name='gform_ajax' value='form_id=2453&amp;title=&amp;description=&amp;tabindex=0&amp;theme=gravity-theme&amp;hash=ec2463697d0d9cef7b71236ae60964c7' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submission_method' data-js='gform_submission_method_2453' value='iframe' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_theme' data-js='gform_theme_2453' id='gform_theme_2453' value='gravity-theme' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_style_settings' data-js='gform_style_settings_2453' id='gform_style_settings_2453' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='is_submit_2453' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submit' value='2453' \/>\n            \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_currency' data-currency='GBP' value='jDQfzuae89yk211L4a7ayZNfVL40WaC1Qav94pUqUFJQMhdyUuLqBeL10uNZSGEGOmrIRi0cmu4ENASdzqbCBcBgdKHxfBqglQbM3QipwcswuZE=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_unique_id' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='state_2453' value='WyJ7XCIxNFwiOltcIjIyODY0N2ViMWU3NTcxZjA4YTY4NGJmMDcwMTk3Y2I0XCIsXCJiMzk3YmQ1MDBmMmFjNjk1ODE4MzdmNTBhYTA2MzQ0OFwiLFwiNGYyNGZkZGEwMzlkNDUxMWFhZGE1NGYwZmQwZmNiZTdcIixcIjUyMmJkMDE2M2I2ZmEwOTI3NDZhZjU5YTg0ZmM1NDk5XCIsXCIzODRlNjk1YjQxMTAzMWFiYmQ2ODEyMGYyZWFhMDYyNlwiLFwiYjkzNDcwNTE2MjkxOGRjZWViMjQzNzRjNmE0NGVmNTlcIixcIjQxMTliODZhMzVjYzJiMWViNDZiMmQ4NjRlNGUzZmNjXCJdfSIsIjQ3MjNiMzA2ZDIyZGVkODA2N2YyMjYyOThkYzI1ODVmIl0=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_target_page_number_2453' id='gform_target_page_number_2453' value='0' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_source_page_number_2453' id='gform_source_page_number_2453' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' name='gform_field_values' value='' \/>\n            \n        <\/div>\n                        <\/form>\n                        <\/div>\n\t\t                <iframe style='display:none;width:0px;height:0px;' src='about:blank' name='gform_ajax_frame_2453' id='gform_ajax_frame_2453' title='This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.'><\/iframe>\n\t\t                <script>\ngform.initializeOnLoaded( function() {gformInitSpinner( 2453, 'https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/legalv-v6\/img\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery('#gform_ajax_frame_2453').on('load',function(){var contents = jQuery(this).contents().find('*').html();var is_postback = contents.indexOf('GF_AJAX_POSTBACK') >= 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_wrapper_2453');var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_confirmation_wrapper_2453').length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf('gformRedirect(){') >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery('html').css('margin-top'), 10) + parseInt(jQuery('body').css('margin-top'), 10) + 100;if(is_form){form_content.find('form').css('opacity', 0);jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass('gform_validation_error')){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').addClass('gform_validation_error');} else {jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').removeClass('gform_validation_error');}setTimeout( function() { \/* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome *\/ jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').offset().top - mt); }, 50 );if(window['gformInitDatepicker']) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window['gformInitPriceFields']) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery('#gform_source_page_number_2453').val();gformInitSpinner( 2453, 'https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/legalv-v6\/img\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery(document).trigger('gform_page_loaded', [2453, current_page]);window['gf_submitting_2453'] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK').html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gf_2453').offset().top - mt);jQuery(document).trigger('gform_confirmation_loaded', [2453]);window['gf_submitting_2453'] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery('#gform_confirmation_message_2453').text());}else{jQuery('#gform_2453').append(contents);if(window['gformRedirect']) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(\"gform_pre_post_render\", [{ formId: \"2453\", currentPage: \"current_page\", abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]);        if (event && event.defaultPrevented) {                return;        }        const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_wrapper_2453\" );        if ( gformWrapperDiv ) {            const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( \"span\" );            visibilitySpan.id = \"gform_visibility_test_2453\";            gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( \"afterend\", visibilitySpan );        }        const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_visibility_test_2453\" );        let postRenderFired = false;        function triggerPostRender() {            if ( postRenderFired ) {                return;            }            postRenderFired = true;            gform.core.triggerPostRenderEvents( 2453, current_page );            if ( visibilityTestDiv ) {                visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv );            }        }        function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) {            var timeout;            return function() {                var context = this, args = arguments;                var later = function() {                    timeout = null;                    if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args );                };                var callNow = immediate && !timeout;                clearTimeout( timeout );                timeout = setTimeout( later, wait );                if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args );            };        }        const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() {            triggerPostRender();        }, 200 );        if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) {            const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => {                mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => {                    if ( mutation.type === 'attributes' && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) {                        debouncedTriggerPostRender();                        observer.disconnect();                    }                });            });            observer.observe( document.body, {                attributes: true,                childList: false,                subtree: true,                attributeFilter: [ 'style', 'class' ],            });        } else {            triggerPostRender();        }    } );} );\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-next\"><!-- scroll anchor --><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employer Obligations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether your staff work traditional or unsocial business hours, the law details the maximum hours they can work, and the rest breaks they are entitled to. Employees should not work more than 48 hours per week unless they voluntarily choose to do so by opting out of the 48-hour rule. You should record their decision in their personnel file.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n    <p>In all cases, your employees are entitled to a 20-minute break for every six hours worked. There are also rules about set breaks between shifts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Where your staff work unsocial hours, especially night-time hours, you must offer them a free health assessment. You must provide this before your staff become night-time workers, and a qualified health professional should carry it out. It will allow you to assess the risks and hazards night-time working might have on your staff\u2019s health. Once your staff works night shifts, you must regularly conduct health assessments to ensure they remain fit to work those shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--star\">\n    <p>Key Statistics:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong data-start=\"161\" data-end=\"168\">40% <\/strong>of teachers work an average of 26 unpaid hours weekly, equating to 5.5 million hours annually, highlighting the significant impact of unsocial hours on educators&#8217; workloads.<\/li>\n<li>Teachers lose an average of <strong>\u00a315,000<\/strong> annually due to unpaid overtime, underscoring the financial implications of unsocial working hours in the education sector.<\/li>\n<li><strong data-start=\"596\" data-end=\"603\">60%<\/strong> of UK workers face tight deadlines, and 40% work at high speed, with only one-third having control over their work pace, indicating high stress levels associated with unsocial working hours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>Sources: <\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} --><\/p>\n<li class=\"has-small-font-size\">The Guardian, <em>\u2018Daylight robbery\u2019: two in five UK teachers work 26 hours for free each week<\/em>, February 2024.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<li class=\"has-small-font-size\">The Guardian, <em>\u2018Daylight robbery\u2019: two in five UK teachers work 26 hours for free each week<\/em>, February 2024.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<li class=\"has-small-font-size\">Reuters, <em>UK workers face some of Europe&#8217;s greatest job stress, report says<\/em>, November 2024.<\/li>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ol>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whilst there is no official definition of unsocial working hours, the law takes a broad view that it is any work outside of regular working hours or usual business days. This includes night-time shifts or excessive overtime work. You owe specific duties to employees working such hours, including promoting their welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need help understanding what you need to know about unsocial working hours in the UK, LegalVision provides ongoing legal support for businesses through our fixed-fee legal membership. Our experienced <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment-lawyers-lp\/\">employment lawyers<\/a><\/strong> help businesses manage contracts, employment law, disputes, intellectual property, and more, with unlimited access to specialist lawyers for a fixed monthly fee. To learn more about LegalVision\u2019s legal membership, call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0808 196 8584<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/membership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">visit our membership page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1737474780604\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What are unsocial working hours?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Unsocial working hours are not officially defined but are generally considered working hours that are not the standard 9 am to 5 pm hours on business days. Night shifts are typical examples of unsocial working hours.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1737474787988\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Are there any legal limits on working unsocial hours?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, the Working Time Regulations 1998 apply. These regulations limit the average working week to 48 hours, usually averaged over 17 weeks (unless the employee opts out), mandate rest breaks, and require at least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest in any 24-hour period.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1774847948749\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Must you pay employees more for working unsocial hours?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">No. The law only requires you to pay staff the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, regardless of when they work. However, if your employment contract includes a shift allowance for unsocial hours, you must honour it or risk a breach of contract claim.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1774847953419\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What health obligations do you have towards night shift workers?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You must offer all night shift workers a free health assessment before they begin night work, carried out by a qualified health professional. Once they start night shifts, you must conduct regular health assessments to ensure they remain fit to continue working those hours.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"9eb4f72322\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178488\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"What Do Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours?\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unsocial working hours describe any time an employee works outside standard business hours or typical working days. Many industries depend on staff who work nights, early mornings, evenings, and weekends to keep operations running. This article will explore the legal framework and provide information on best practices surrounding unsocial hours. What are Unsocial Working Hours?<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;What Do Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13510,"featured_media":3144,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"174696,1702,174167,174632,177632,1069","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[21,219,525,1185],"class_list":["post-178488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employment","tag-medium-business","tag-employment-law","tag-employer-obligations","tag-unsocial-working-hours"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This article will explain what you as an employer should know about your staff working unsocial working hours.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This article will explain what you as an employer should know about your staff working unsocial working hours.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"LegalVision UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LegalVision\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-20T16:05:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-30T05:20:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1123\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"749\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Albert Cole\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LegalVision_law\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LegalVision_law\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Albert Cole\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Albert Cole\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f40597fd9295f0dd4d13a5346b152798\"},\"headline\":\"What Do Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours?\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-20T16:05:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-30T05:20:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\"},\"wordCount\":976,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"medium business\",\"employment law\",\"employer obligations\",\"unsocial working hours\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Employment Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\",\"name\":\"Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-20T16:05:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-30T05:20:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f40597fd9295f0dd4d13a5346b152798\"},\"description\":\"This article will explain what you as an employer should know about your staff working unsocial working hours.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#breadcrumb\"},\"mainEntity\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474780604\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474787988\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847948749\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847953419\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg\",\"width\":1123,\"height\":749,\"caption\":\"What Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Employment Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/category\/employment\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What Do Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"LegalVision UK\",\"description\":\"LegalVision is a commercial law firm in the UK with a commitment to innovation\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f40597fd9295f0dd4d13a5346b152798\",\"name\":\"Albert Cole\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/07\/Albert-cole--e1722531637684-96x96.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/07\/Albert-cole--e1722531637684-96x96.jpeg\",\"caption\":\"Albert Cole\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/albertcole\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474780604\",\"name\":\"What are unsocial working hours?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Unsocial working hours are not officially defined but are generally considered working hours that are not the standard 9 am to 5 pm hours on business days. Night shifts are typical examples of unsocial working hours.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474787988\",\"name\":\"Are there any legal limits on working unsocial hours?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, the Working Time Regulations 1998 apply. These regulations limit the average working week to 48 hours, usually averaged over 17 weeks (unless the employee opts out), mandate rest breaks, and require at least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest in any 24-hour period.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847948749\",\"name\":\"Must you pay employees more for working unsocial hours?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. The law only requires you to pay staff the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, regardless of when they work. However, if your employment contract includes a shift allowance for unsocial hours, you must honour it or risk a breach of contract claim.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847953419\",\"name\":\"What health obligations do you have towards night shift workers?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"You must offer all night shift workers a free health assessment before they begin night work, carried out by a qualified health professional. Once they start night shifts, you must conduct regular health assessments to ensure they remain fit to continue working those hours.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK","description":"This article will explain what you as an employer should know about your staff working unsocial working hours.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK","og_description":"This article will explain what you as an employer should know about your staff working unsocial working hours.","og_url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/","og_site_name":"LegalVision UK","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LegalVision","article_published_time":"2022-11-20T16:05:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-30T05:20:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1123,"height":749,"url":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Albert Cole","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@LegalVision_law","twitter_site":"@LegalVision_law","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Albert Cole","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/"},"author":{"name":"Albert Cole","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f40597fd9295f0dd4d13a5346b152798"},"headline":"What Do Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours?","datePublished":"2022-11-20T16:05:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-30T05:20:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/"},"wordCount":976,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg","keywords":["medium business","employment law","employer obligations","unsocial working hours"],"articleSection":["Employment Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/","name":"Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg","datePublished":"2022-11-20T16:05:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-30T05:20:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f40597fd9295f0dd4d13a5346b152798"},"description":"This article will explain what you as an employer should know about your staff working unsocial working hours.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474780604"},{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474787988"},{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847948749"},{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847953419"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121705\/business-image-052285.jpg","width":1123,"height":749,"caption":"What Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours | LegalVision UK"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Employment Articles","item":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/category\/employment\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Do Employers Need to Know About Unsocial Working Hours?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/","name":"LegalVision UK","description":"LegalVision is a commercial law firm in the UK with a commitment to innovation","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f40597fd9295f0dd4d13a5346b152798","name":"Albert Cole","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/07\/Albert-cole--e1722531637684-96x96.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/07\/Albert-cole--e1722531637684-96x96.jpeg","caption":"Albert Cole"},"url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/albertcole\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474780604","name":"What are unsocial working hours?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Unsocial working hours are not officially defined but are generally considered working hours that are not the standard 9 am to 5 pm hours on business days. Night shifts are typical examples of unsocial working hours.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1737474787988","name":"Are there any legal limits on working unsocial hours?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, the Working Time Regulations 1998 apply. These regulations limit the average working week to 48 hours, usually averaged over 17 weeks (unless the employee opts out), mandate rest breaks, and require at least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest in any 24-hour period.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847948749","name":"Must you pay employees more for working unsocial hours?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. The law only requires you to pay staff the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, regardless of when they work. However, if your employment contract includes a shift allowance for unsocial hours, you must honour it or risk a breach of contract claim.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/unsocial-working-hours\/#faq-question-1774847953419","name":"What health obligations do you have towards night shift workers?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You must offer all night shift workers a free health assessment before they begin night work, carried out by a qualified health professional. Once they start night shifts, you must conduct regular health assessments to ensure they remain fit to continue working those hours.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13510"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178488"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":196697,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178488\/revisions\/196697"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/3144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}