As an employer in the UK, it is crucial to understand the legal limits on your employees\u2019 working hours. These regulations, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), are designed to protect workers\u2019 well-being and ensure a healthy work-life balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you know there is a cap on weekly working hours, unless your employee opts out? Or that you have specific record-keeping obligations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we will walk you through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether you are a new business owner or looking to refresh your knowledge, this article will equip you with the key information you need to stay compliant and effectively support your workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are legal limits on the number of hours a person can work within a week, known as the Working Time Regulations<\/em><\/a>. The legal limit over one week is 48 hours, usually averaged over 17 weeks. The daily limit is an average of 8 hours. Notably, it does not matter if your employee has another job besides your business. The 48-hour average weekly limit applies across both positions, and you must be aware of this to ensure that you are not inadvertently breaching your obligations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The weekly legal limit for your staff under the age of 18<\/a> is 8 hours per day. They cannot work for more than 40 hours in a week, and their weekly hours cannot be averaged out over a reference period.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Understanding your employees’ working hours is crucial for determining whether they work within the legal limit of 48 hours on average per week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The following count as working hours:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following do not count as working hours:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are Working Hours?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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