Minumum time between shifts

trailingspouse

Someone told me today that it's 'illegal' (his words) to have less than 11 hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next.

I know in the past my ex used to work 4 hours on 8 hours off (Merchant Navy) - but that was a long time ago and for all I know things have changed.


Just curious to know what the current situation is - is it 'illegal', or does it depend on the job?

Sncjw

Depends on the job.

Look at this and exceptions

https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work/

trailingspouse

Thanks - reading that, he's absolutely right, in his situation.


For the removal of doubt - I'm not his employer!!

ohreally

trailingspouse wrote: »

Someone told me today that it's 'illegal' (his words) to have less than 11 hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next.

Depends on local agreements, collective agreements, derogation periods etc etc etc.

sangie595

Plus the Merchant Navy have different rules altogether. Always have had! Ships tend to be the kind of employment where you can't all decide to take a break when it suits. Just look at the Titanic!

However, it isn't true that he's "right". He's only partially correct because although some jobs are specifically excluded (those on boats for example!), all jobs might have circumstances where the 11 hours can be varied. Where someone is moving from one shift to another, for example. That is why provisions for compensatory rest exist. So it's actually the case that most employees should have a minimum break of 11 hours between working days most of the time, and should have provision made for occasions when this is not possible.

chrisw99

It's 11 hours break between "working days". This used to get quite convoluted at my previous job where I worked 9 to 5, but occasionally had to do extra work in the middle of the night, sometimes planned, sometimes unplanned (I was on call).

When I first heard about the 11 hour thing, we asked all kinds of questions, i.e. working for an hour at midnight to do an upgrade. That's less than 7 hours since I finished at 5pm, and if it finishes at 1am, would it be illegal for the employer to make us go in before lunch the next day.
Response from the employer was always "shove off" or words to that effect. The planned/call outs where overtime and as such not part of the working day. Taking the government guideline literally, it does not say you need a continuous 11 hours rest between working days, just that you need 11 hours rest - which was the 5pm to midnight, and 1am to the start of the next day.

If it had said continuous 11 hours rest - could have been a whole different ballgame.

Sncjw

It’s says it right there 11 hours between shifts.