ShiftLens

Rest breaks at work: 20 minutes after 6 hours

Workers who work more than 6 hours a day have the right to one uninterrupted 20-minute rest break. Under-18s who work more than 4.5 hours get at least 30 minutes, in one go if possible. The break doesn't have to be paid: that depends on the contract.

ShiftLens provides guidance, not legal advice. This guide is a summary for England, Scotland and Wales. Some rules have exceptions, and contracts or workforce agreements can change some of the details. For advice on your situation, contact Acas or an employment solicitor.

Adults: 20 minutes

An adult whose working time in a day is more than 6 hours is entitled to a rest break of at least 20 minutes, without interruption. Exactly 6 hours doesn't qualify; 6 hours and 1 minute does.

Employers can say when the break is taken, as long as it's taken in one go somewhere in the middle of the day, not at the beginning or end, and the worker can spend it away from their workstation. It doesn't count as a rest break if the worker is told to go back to work before it's finished.

A collective or workforce agreement can change the details, including how long the break is.

Under-18s: 30 minutes

Workers aged 16 and 17 who work more than 4.5 hours in a day are entitled to a break of at least 30 minutes, which should be taken in one go if possible, and they can spend it away from their workstation.

Unlike the adult break, an agreement can't change this. If a young worker has more than one job, the hours for each employer are added together.

Examples

  • An adult on 9am to 3:30pm. That's 6 hours 30 minutes, so they're entitled to a 20-minute break, for example around midday.
  • A 17-year-old on a Saturday from 10am to 3pm. Five hours is more than 4.5, so they're entitled to 30 minutes.
  • A 20-minute break at the very end of a shift. gov.uk says the break should be somewhere in the middle of the day, so this isn't the break the rules describe.

The law gives workers the right to take the break, not to be paid for it. Unless the contract says so, breaks don't have to be paid. Breaks when no work is done don't count towards the 48-hour week.

How ShiftLens checks this

ShiftLens checks each shift on its own. If your rota has a break column, a long shift with less than the minimum break is marked “Check this”. If it doesn't, ShiftLens tells you which shifts it couldn't check.

A rota shows the breaks you plan, not the breaks people take, so a shift with no break on the rota doesn't prove a break wasn't allowed. Two shifts on the same day aren't added together.

Check your rota for this

ShiftLens checks the break on every long shift, and tells you which shifts it couldn't check because your rota doesn't show breaks. It's free, there's no sign-up, and your rota never leaves your browser.

Check your rota

Sources

gov.uk: rest breaks at work; gov.uk: taking breaks; gov.uk: rest breaks for young workers; gov.uk: calculating your working hours; Working Time Regulations 1998, regulation 12