WO toolkit 2012 complete.pdf - GMB

SECTION 5.3
3. What rest breaks am I entitled to?
The Working Time Regulations 1998 provide statutory rights to a rest break for most workers in Britain.
The Regulations entitle you to:
• a 20 minute rest break for every six hours worked(drivers of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes should have a
break of 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving);
• 11 consecutive hours of rest per 24 hour period;
• one day off each week(This day off should be taken with the 11 hours referred to above meaning
that you are entitled to at least 35 consecutive hours off work once a week).
Young workers
There are tighter legal controls on the working hours of young workers aged between 16 and 17.Their
working hours are limited to:
• 40 hours a week.
• Eight hours in any one day and
• night working is prohibited between 10pm–6am or 11pm–7am.
There are some exceptions for young workers employed agriculture,retail trading,postal or newspaper
deliveries,a catering business,a hotel,public house,restaurant,bar or similar establishment,or a
bakery,However working between the hours of midnight and 4am is prohibited other than in
exceptional circumstances.
Where a young worker(i.e.16 to 17 years old)is required to work for more than four and a half hours at a
stretch,he or she is entitled to a rest break of 30 minutes.If a young worker is working for more than
one employer,the time s/he is working for each one should be added together to see if they are entitled
to a rest break.A young worker’s entitlement to breaks can be reduced or excluded in exceptional
circumstances only.Where this occurs,the young worker should receive compensatory rest within
three weeks.
A young worker is entitled to 12 uninterrupted hours in each 24-hour period in which they work.The
rest may be interrupted if periods of work are split up over the day or do not last long.
A young worker’s entitlement to daily rest can be reduced or excluded in exceptional circumstances
only.Where this occurs,the young worker should receive compensatory rest within three weeks.
Young workers are entitled to two days off each week.This cannot be averaged over a two-week period
and should normally be two consecutive days.
If the nature of the job makes it unavoidable,a young worker’s weekly time off can be reduced to 36
hours,subject to them receiving compensatory rest.