{"id":90732,"date":"2023-01-18T18:27:43","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T16:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?p=90732"},"modified":"2026-03-30T10:35:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T08:35:04","slug":"working-time-regulations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/working-time-regulations\/","title":{"rendered":"Working Time Regulations: The Ultimate Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a raft of employment laws and legislation businesses need to comply with, and the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working Time Regulations 1998<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is one of them. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Working Time Regulations UK (also known as the Working Time Directive or WTR for short) is a critical piece of legislation that governs your employees&#8217; working hours. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organisations that don\u2019t understand the regulations <\/span><b>risk hefty penalties, an unhappy workforce and dents to business reputation.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, understanding the Working Time Regulations can be confusing. Today\u2019s workforce has a mix of employees, from those working part-time, full-time or on shifts, to those working annual leave.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will help you understand the key details of the Working Time Regulations UK, the exceptions and how they impact your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#what\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the Working Time Regulations?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#how\">How Many Hours Can You Work Without a Break? <\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#exceptions\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exceptions to the Working Time Regulations UK<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#can\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can employees opt out of the Working Time Regulations?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#paid\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paid leave and Working Time Regulations<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#working\">Working Time Regulations Cases and Consequences\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#tips\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tips to Stay Compliant\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"what\"><\/a>What are the Working Time Regulations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Working Time Regulations came into force in October 1998. They determine the working hours of employees over a working week and give <\/span>workers<b> the legal right to paid leave and specified rest breaks. <\/b>They ensure that<b> employers take reasonable steps to protect the <a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/health-and-safety-management\/\">health and safety<\/a> of their employees <\/b>and maintain a<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0safe and supportive environment by giving people equal and fair working conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The legislation states that an <\/span><b>adult employee must work no more than 48 hours a week over a reference period<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> unless they opt out. Businesses usually average the reference period <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/maximum-weekly-working-hours\/calculating-your-working-hours\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">over 17 weeks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means an employee can work a maximum of 48 hours one week as long as the average over 17 weeks is less than 48 hours a week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Younger workers, i.e. those who are over the compulsory school leaving age and up to 18 years, are<b> restricted to eight hours per day or 40 hours per week.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Working Time Regulations also stipulate that employees are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not allowed to exceed an average of eight hours work in 24 hours (for night workers)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entitled to 11 hours of rest between working days<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allowed a 20 minute minimum rest break (defined below) if the working day is longer than six hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entitled to 28 days paid time off for full-time workers per year<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Permitted a minimum of one day off per week.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees spend a considerable amount of time undertaking tasks that may not be directly related to work, so it\u2019s easy to misinterpret the definition of a working week under the Working Time Regulations. Put simply, &#8216;working&#8217; means any time spent on:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job-related learning and development (on-site, off-site, or at home)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelling if you travel as part of your job (for example, news reporter or sales rep)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Time that is treated as \u2018working time\u2019 under an employment contract<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Time spent travelling between home and work at the start and end of the working day (if you don\u2019t have a fixed work base)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working lunches, for example, business lunches or lunch and learn sessions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working abroad, such as attending a business conference or meeting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paid overtime and unpaid overtime employees are asked to carry out by their employer.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, there are some exceptions to be aware of. More on that later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Working Time Regulations benefit you as an employer and your people<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It can prevent employment tribunal cases by adhering to the maximum number of working hours\u2013saving you money and stress. Plus, employees work in an environment where leaders value and appreciate them, maintaining a positive and supportive work culture for all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/get-started\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-88948\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/21135936\/start-free-trial.jpg\" alt=\"start-free-trial\" width=\"611\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/21135936\/start-free-trial.jpg 900w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/21135936\/start-free-trial-300x103.jpg 300w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/21135936\/start-free-trial-768x263.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 611px) 100vw, 611px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"how\"><\/a>How Many Hours Can You Work Without a Break?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working for long periods of time without enough breaks or rest periods leads to fatigue and mistakes, often resulting in costly errors, accidents, or injuries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Working Time Regulations sets out different rules on breaks depending on the age of your workforce. They also <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">divide working breaks into three groups:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Rest breaks at work\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tea breaks or lunch breaks are often a bone of contention for managers. Apply a fair approach to all employees by ensuring you comply with the Working Time Regulations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Employees and workers who work <b>longer than six hours are entitled to a minimum of 20 minutes rest break. <\/b>How many hours you can work without a break is slightly less for young workers, who should receive at least 30 minutes for every six hours worked.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Daily rest<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the time between finishing one work period and starting the next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees should take a <\/span><b>daily rest of not less than eleven consecutive hours in each 24-hour period<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Again, this changes for young workers who are entitled to a rest period of not less than twelve consecutive hours in each 24-hour period.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Weekly rest\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weekends or full days when employees don&#8217;t come into work. <\/span><b>Adult workers are allowed an uninterrupted rest period of no less than 24 hours in each seven-day period.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the weekly rest period for young people is again slightly different. Young workers must take two days off each week. It&#8217;s important to note that weekly rest should be taken together and can\u2019t be averaged over a given period of time. This means younger employees aren\u2019t permitted to work extra hours one week and take more days off the following week.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"exceptions\"><\/a>Exceptions to the Working Time Regulations UK<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Age isn&#8217;t the only factor that influences Working Time Regulations; there are a number of other exceptions to be aware of.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The law on working hours and rest periods <strong>doesn\u2019t apply to self-employed people, senior directors of a company, and other similar positions who make strategic decisions.<\/strong> Nonetheless, they still need to rest to protect their own physical and <a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-build-an-employee-wellbeing-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mental well-being<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certain job roles, such as trainee doctors, have a <strong>26-week reference period<\/strong>, and offshore oil and gas workers have a <strong>52-week reference period<\/strong> rather than the usual 17 weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People in jobs that need &#8216;continuity of service or production&#8217; are also subject to different rules. For example, prison officers or those in agriculture\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">carry out work that can\u2019t be stopped for legitimate reasons, making them exempt from rest periods regulations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees with a disability may need additional rest breaks. In these circumstances, <strong>you must agree with more rest breaks if it\u2019s classed as a<\/strong><\/span><strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/reasonable-adjustments-a-legal-duty\/reasonable-adjustments-a-legal-duty\">reasonable adjustment<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/equality-act-2010-guidance\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equality Act 2010<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re unsure whether employees fall into an exemption category, contact <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acas.org.uk\/working-hours\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for further advice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-90748 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/18182555\/working-time-regulations-_11zon.jpeg\" alt=\"working-time-regulations\" width=\"567\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/18182555\/working-time-regulations-_11zon.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/18182555\/working-time-regulations-_11zon-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/18182555\/working-time-regulations-_11zon-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/18182555\/working-time-regulations-_11zon-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/18182555\/working-time-regulations-_11zon-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"can\"><\/a>Can Employees Opt Out of the Working Time Regulations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put simply, yes. On average, employees can choose to work more than 48 hours a week if they\u2019re over 18 years old.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Businesses can also<b> ask people to opt out of the Working Time Regulations. However, they cannot dismiss or unfairly treat someone if they choose not to. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staff members who choose to opt out can decide for how long, although employees must put this in writing to their employer. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, there are some exceptions to this. Employees and workers can\u2019t opt of the 48-hour week if they:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have a previous agreement that has been negotiated with a trade union\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work on ships or aircraft, such as stewards or airline cabin crew<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work in the road transport industry, for example: the rail industry, HGV drivers or operate vehicles covered by EU rules on drivers\u2019 hours such as bus conductors<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work as a security guard on a vehicle carrying high-value goods or passengers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If employees haven\u2019t opted out of the 48-hour-per-week limit and work more than an average of 48 hours per week during the reference period, it\u2019s essential you give them <a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/staff-leave-planner\/\">time off<\/a> so that the average doesn\u2019t exceed 48 hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"paid\"><\/a>Paid leave and Working Time Regulations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The amount of paid leave (PTO) an employee receives can vary depending on individual contractual agreements. Some employers grant more annual leave than others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, <\/span><b>the minimum amount employees are entitled to is 28 days\u2019 paid statutory annual leave.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This may include the allocated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/uk-bank-holidays\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bank holidays in the UK<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Remember, this amount is reduced pro-rata for part-time employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay compliant with Working Time Regulations and manage <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/leave-of-absence\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">leave of absence and PTO<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> easily with Factorial. \u201cThe software is simple to use and can be customised to your needs,&#8221; says Alicia Sapena, HR Director at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voicemod.net\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voicemod<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cThe team view is very useful, letting you quickly see who&#8217;s going to be absent in the coming weeks so you can make sure you&#8217;re prepared!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;working time regulations cases&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:513,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;12&quot;:0}\"><a id=\"working\"><\/a>Working Time Regulations Cases and <\/span>Consequences\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working over hours, lack of support and little time off can all negatively impact the health and well-being of employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">722,000 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">workers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> experienced a new case of work-related ill health in 2021. What\u2019s more, 32.5 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health. <\/span>People who are denied statutory rest breaks or holidays, in breach of the Working Time Regulations 1998, can lead to<b> employee ill-health, workplace disputes and tribunal claims.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The employment appeal tribunal <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bailii.org\/uk\/cases\/UKEAT\/2016\/0130_16_1611.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shows an employee awarded \u00a3750 for the \u201cdiscomfort and distress\u201d caused by the employer\u2019s refusal to allow rest breaks over 14 working days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps one of the most significant Working Time Regulations cases occurred in 2006. The European Court found the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurofound.europa.eu\/publications\/article\/2006\/european-court-finds-uk-in-breach-of-working-time-directive#:~:text=In%202004%2C%20the%20European%20Commission%20brought%20an%20action,of%20working%20time%2C%20now%20consolidated%20in%20Directive%202003%2F88%2FEC.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UK government in breach of the working time directive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for \u201cfailing to meet the minimum requirements to improve workers\u2019 living and working conditions by ensuring that they are entitled to minimum rest periods.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from the stress, time and effort associated with employment tribunals, organisations that spend considerable time and effort providing a great employee experience can reduce such claims. In fact, improving employee experience is identified as a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbeshumanresourcescouncil\/2022\/12\/20\/the-employee-experience-matters-a-key-focus-for-hr-in-2023\/?sh=587b27ec5ec9\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">key focus for HR leaders in 2023<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making sure your organisation complies with the Working Time Regulations can have a positive effect on employee experience by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating a great work culture by giving employees accountability for their working hours<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prioritising employee well-being\u00a0 by adhering to <a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/monitoring-work-breaks\/\">rest break periods<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Valuing and respecting employees&#8217; and workers&#8217; time outside of work, promoting a better work-life harmony<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leading a tight ship! Following procedures consistently and fairly allows people to work effectively and efficiently.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/request-live-demo\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-88091 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/07170046\/Book-free-demo-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Book-free-demo\" width=\"701\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/07170046\/Book-free-demo-1-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/07170046\/Book-free-demo-1-1-300x103.jpg 300w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/07170046\/Book-free-demo-1-1-768x263.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"tips\"><\/a>Tips to Stay Compliant\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay compliant with the Working Time Regulations and create a workforce where people feel happy and content with these best practice tips.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Record hours worked<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing and recording employee working hours can be time-consuming. <\/span><b>Factorial&#8217;s <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/time-attendance-signing\"><b>Time Tracking software<\/b><\/a><b> allows you to <\/b><strong>track your employees\u2019 working hours<\/strong>, including any break periods.<\/p>\n<p>Our digital solution gives you full visibility over hours worked so you can compare this to estimated hours and approve or reject employee timesheets to better manage employee productivity.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Stay up to date with regulations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Share accurate information about the Working Time Regulations with your workforce through <strong>regular company updates using Factorial&#8217;s <\/strong><\/span><strong>communication and events feature.\u00a0<\/strong>This ensures everyone is up to date and informed about their rights surrounding <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">working hours and rest periods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Encourage breaks\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support employee health and well-being by encouraging workers to take regular breaks and allow them to choose when they are taken. Give your workforce some level of autonomy and freedom as this will result in greater productivity in the long term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 <\/span>Ready to learn more? Find out how Factorial can support your business with our <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/get-started\"><b>free 14-day trial<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a raft of employment laws and legislation businesses need to comply with, and the Working Time Regulations 1998 is one of them. The Working Time Regulations UK (also known as the Working Time Directive or WTR for short) is a critical piece of legislation that governs your employees&#8217; working hours. Organisations that don\u2019t understand<a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/working-time-regulations\/\" class=\"read-more\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":90747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legal-finance"],"acf":{"topics":"time"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.5 (Yoast SEO v21.9.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Working Time Regulations: The Ultimate Guide | Factorial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand everything you need to know about the UK\u2019s Working Time Regulations, including rules around breaks, opting out and example cases.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/working-time-regulations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Working Time Regulations: The Ultimate Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understand everything you need to know about the UK\u2019s Working Time Regulations, including rules around breaks, opting out and example cases.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/working-time-regulations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Factorial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Factorial\/100064908455810\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-18T16:27:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-30T08:35:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/18182456\/working-time-regulations.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"820\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tracy Rawlinson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@factorialapp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@factorialapp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tracy Rawlinson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/working-time-regulations\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/working-time-regulations\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tracy Rawlinson\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/90bc3fe3a7442d2b6da19ea75d74a1f7\"},\"headline\":\"Working Time Regulations: The Ultimate Guide\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-18T16:27:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-30T08:35:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/working-time-regulations\/\"},\"wordCount\":1871,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Legal &amp; 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