BREAKS
20 minutes after 6 hours
Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20-minute break if they work more than 6 hours a day. It does not have to be paid; that depends on the contract.
All three rest rights
5.6 WEEKSpaid holiday a year
- Paid holiday
- Daily and weekly rest
- Hours with a limit
- The floor, not the ceiling
Almost everyone classed as a worker in the UK has minimum rights to paid holiday, breaks and rest between shifts, a limit on average weekly hours and a payslip. Here are the numbers, straight from GOV.UK guidance.
Updated
THE SHORT ANSWER
Minimums the law
already sets.
Contracts can give more than these minimums.
They are the starting point for most workers.
HOLIDAY
5.6 weeks a year
Almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday. On a 5-day week that is at least 28 days, and employers can include bank holidays in it.
Check your holiday
HOURS
48 hours on average
You cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average, normally averaged over 17 weeks, unless you choose to opt out or your job is an exception.
See the numbersGeneral information only, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a qualified lawyer or a free advice service.
A QUICK HOLIDAY CHECK
How much paid
holiday is yours?
Pick a work pattern to see the minimum statutory paid holiday from GOV.UK guidance. The bar shows how much leave that adds up to.
Statutory minimums from GOV.UK, Holiday entitlement. Your contract may give more. This is general information, not legal advice.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Time off,
and a cap on time on.
Both figures from GOV.UK
guidance for workers.
5.6 weeks
Statutory paid holiday a year
Almost all people classed as workers are entitled to it, including agency workers, workers with irregular hours and part-year workers.
HOLIDAY · GOV.UK
48 hours
Average weekly working limit
Normally averaged over 17 weeks. You can choose to opt out. If you are under 18 you cannot work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.
HOURS · GOV.UK
Some jobs are exceptions to the 48-hour limit, including the armed forces, emergency services and police, and jobs where 24-hour staffing is required.
THREE KINDS OF REST
Breaks, nights
and weekends.
GOV.UK says workers over 18 are usually entitled to three types of break, plus a payslip that shows what they earned.
A break in the day
One uninterrupted 20 minutes if you work more than 6 hours, such as a tea or lunch break.
Rest between days
11 hours between working days: finish at 8pm, and you should not start again before 7am.
Rest each week
Either 24 hours without work each week, or 48 uninterrupted hours each fortnight.
Check the payslip
It must show pay before and after deductions, and hours worked if your pay varies with time worked.
HOLIDAY IN DETAIL
Leave keeps
building up.
Workers build up holiday entitlement during maternity, paternity and adoption leave, and while off work sick. They can also request holiday at the same time as sick leave.
Paid annual leave is a legal right that an employer must provide. If a worker thinks their leave and pay rights are not being met, GOV.UK points to a number of ways to resolve the dispute, and Acas runs a helpline for advice on working hours.
Questions
Questions people ask
How much paid holiday am I entitled to?
Almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year. On a 5-day week that is at least 28 days. Statutory leave is capped at 28 days, even for people who work 6 days a week.
Do bank holidays count as part of my holiday?
They can. GOV.UK says bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave, and an employer can choose to include them in statutory annual leave.
Am I entitled to a lunch break?
If you are over 18 and work more than 6 hours a day, you have the right to one uninterrupted 20-minute rest break. It does not have to be paid; that depends on your contract.
Can my employer make me work more than 48 hours a week?
Not on average, normally over 17 weeks, unless you choose to opt out or work in an excepted job such as the emergency services or where 24-hour staffing is required.
Do I have a right to a payslip?
Employees and workers must get a payslip on or before payday, printed or electronic, showing earnings before and after deductions.