Working Time Regulations 1998

Summary

The Working Time Regulations 1998 are the statutory instrument that originally implemented the EU Working Time Directive in Great Britain and remain the principal source of working-time and annual-leave rights for workers. They cap average weekly working time at 48 hours over a 17-week reference period (reg 4), from which an individual worker may opt out by written agreement, and they regulate night work (reg 6). They guarantee daily rest of 11 consecutive hours (reg 10), a weekly rest period (reg 11), and an in-work rest break where the day exceeds six hours (reg 12). They also confer 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave (regs 13 and 13A). After the UK's departure from the EU the Regulations were retained and then reformed, including simplified holiday-pay and record-keeping rules and rolled-up holiday pay for irregular-hours and part-year workers from 2024.

Key Points

• Maximum 48-hour average working week over a 17-week reference period (reg 4)
• Individual opt-out from the 48-hour limit by written agreement
• 5.6 weeks (28 days) paid annual leave (regs 13 and 13A)
• Rest break of at least 20 minutes where daily working time exceeds 6 hours (reg 12)
• Daily rest of 11 consecutive hours (reg 10) and a weekly rest period (reg 11)
• Night work limited to an average of 8 hours in any 24-hour period (reg 6)

Parts & Sections

Amendments History