GUIDE — THE RULES
A plain-English reference to the rules that sit behind shift work in the UK — and, just as usefully, the popular beliefs that are not rules at all.
“You cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average — normally averaged over 17 weeks. You can choose to work more by opting out of the 48-hour week.”
— GOV.UK, Maximum weekly working hours
Two details matter in practice. It is an average, so a 56-hour week is not automatically a breach if the surrounding weeks are lighter. And the opt-out is voluntary — you cannot be forced to sign one, and you can cancel it with notice.
“Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day. The break does not have to be paid — it depends on their employment contract.”
— GOV.UK, Rest breaks at work
The same page sets out the rest around shifts too: 11 hours between working days, and either 24 hours off each week or 48 hours each fortnight.
This is where shift pay often goes wrong. An unpaid break is not hours worked, so it comes off the paid hours. A 12-hour shift with an unpaid 30 minutes is 11.5 paid hours. If your payslip is consistently one break short, that is the first thing to check.
Night workers have extra protections: a limit on average hours worked at night, and a free health assessment before starting night work. What counts as “night” is usually defined in your contract, and often runs from 23:00 to 06:00.
What the law does not do is require a night premium. Extra pay for nights comes from your contract or your employer's policy, not from statute — see how premiums and stacking work.
There is no automatic legal right to take a bank holiday off, and no automatic legal right to extra pay for working one. Both depend on your contract. Many employers do give one or both — but it is a contractual benefit, not a statutory one.
What you are entitled to by law is statutory holiday, which is 5.6 weeks a year for most workers, and which bank holidays can be part of. Your employer can count bank holidays towards that entitlement if your contract says so.
“Unsocial hours” is not a legal category with a fixed payment. It is a label employers use for evenings, nights, weekends and early starts, and what it is worth depends entirely on your contract. Some sectors have national agreements that set out enhancements in detail; most do not.
Because so much of shift pay is contractual rather than statutory, checking your pay means checking it against your contract, not against a general rule. That is the honest answer, and it is why the app asks you to set your own rates and rules rather than assuming a national standard.
| Set by law | 48-hour average week, rest breaks, night-working limits, statutory holiday, National Minimum Wage |
|---|---|
| Set by your contract | Night, weekend and bank holiday premiums, overtime rates, whether breaks are paid, whether bank holidays are days off |
Whoever is right about a disputed shift, the person with dates and times usually wins the conversation. Shift Tracker UK keeps your shifts, hours and rates in one place and compares them with your payslip. Free, no install, any phone or PC.
This page summarises official guidance and links to it. It is not legal advice, and it does not describe your contract. For your own situation, check your contract or ask ACAS.
No. There is no automatic legal right to a day off on a bank holiday, or to extra pay for working one. Whether you get time off or a premium depends on your contract and your employer's policy.
Workers over 18 are entitled to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break if they work more than 6 hours a day. Your contract may give you more. The break does not have to be paid unless your contract says so.
Not more than 48 hours a week on average, normally averaged over 17 weeks, unless you have opted out of the 48-hour week. You can choose to work more by opting out.