Working Time Regulations 1998

Your employer can’t deduct costs from your pay unless it’s actually in your contract.

How much paid holiday am I entitled to, and how does it build up?

Working out how much paid holiday you're owed shouldn't feel like guesswork. This guide breaks down the rules for full-time, part-time, and irregular-hours workers, so you can check your own figures with confidence.

Working part of the year doesn’t mean your holiday shrinks to match.

Zero-hours contracts: your rights, and the ban on exclusivity clauses

Your right to rest breaks at work, and what actually counts as one

What actually counts as a rest break under the law, and what to do if your employer's idea of a break is not being interrupted.

The 48-hour week, and what happens if you refuse to opt out

The 48-hour week is averaged, not fixed, and you can be asked to opt out. What happens if you refuse, and how to withdraw an opt-out you already signed.

Does travelling for work count as working time?

Whether time spent travelling for work counts towards your hours, and why that is a different question from whether it counts towards your pay.

What records your employer has to keep about your hours and holiday

What records your employer has to keep about your hours and holiday, and why a poor record does not excuse hours they already knew about.

Your rights as a night worker

The extra limits and protections that apply if a regular part of your working day falls overnight.

An employer who knows about your excessive hours and does nothing can still be liable.

How you actually work can override what your contract says on paper.

The 48-hour working week limit is not just guidance. It is an enforceable right.