Breaks

Workers over 18 are usually entitled to 3 types of break – rest breaks at work, daily rest, and weekly rest.

Rest breaks at work

Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20-minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day. This could be a tea or lunch break.

The break doesn’t have to be paid – it depends on their employment contract.

Daily rest

Workers have the right to 11 hours rest between working days, e.g., if they finish work at 8 pm, they shouldn’t start work again until 7 am the next day.

Weekly rest

Workers have the right to either:

• an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week
• an uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight

Employers can say when employees take rest breaks during work time as long as:

• the break is taken in one go somewhere in the middle of the day (not at the beginning or end)
• workers are allowed to spend it away from their desk or workstation (i.e., away from where they actually work)

It doesn’t count as a rest break if an employer says an employee should go back to work before their break is finished.

Unless a worker’s employment contract says so, they don’t have the right to:

• take smoking breaks
• get paid for rest breaks