UK HR Term
Working Time Regulations
The Working Time Regulations 1998 are UK statutory instruments setting minimum standards for working hours, rest breaks, paid annual leave (5.6 weeks), and night work. They implement the EU Working Time Directive into UK law and remain in force post-Brexit.
In plain English
The Working Time Regulations 1998 (often shortened to "WTR") implement the EU Working Time Directive into UK law. They set the minimum standards for working hours, rest, and paid leave that every employer must meet. They remain in force after Brexit.
What they cover
- 48-hour week — average working time is capped at 48 hours per week, calculated over a 17-week reference period. Workers can opt out individually in writing.
- Daily rest — at least 11 consecutive hours' rest in any 24-hour period.
- Weekly rest — at least 24 hours' uninterrupted rest in each 7-day period (or 48 hours in 14).
- Rest breaks — a 20-minute break for any shift longer than 6 hours.
- Paid annual leave — the headline 5.6 weeks per year, including bank holidays.
- Night work limits — average eight hours in 24 for night workers, plus a free health assessment.
Who's covered
Almost all "workers" — wider than just employees. Includes most agency staff, casuals, and freelancers working under a contract personally to perform work.
Some exceptions
Sectors with operational reasons for variation — transport (some), domestic service, armed forces, junior doctors during training (with special rules), and a few others — have modified or excluded provisions. Most office-based and general workers are fully covered.
Why they matter
The WTR are the source of most of the UK's familiar HR rules around hours, breaks, and statutory holiday. Almost every absence-management, leave, and rota policy traces back to a WTR floor.