Working time

Count duties, not just rostered hours

Working time is the time a worker is at the employer's disposal and doing work activities or duties. It can include required training, travel between assignments, working lunches, overtime and time on call at the workplace. The label on a rota or payslip does not decide the answer.

An ordinary commute to a fixed workplace and a genuine break with no work are usually outside the calculation. On-call time away from work needs a closer look at how much control the employer keeps over the person's location, activities and response time. The Acas working-time guide gives practical examples.

Add the right hours over the right period

For most adult workers, the weekly limit is an average rather than a cap on every individual week. The normal reference period is 17 weeks, although some jobs and valid agreements use a different period. Hours from more than one job count towards the same total.

Young workers' hours are not averaged in the same way. Night work has its own limit, and special-hazard night work needs a stricter check. Identify those categories before using a general weekly calculation.

Keep enough evidence to explain the total

Keep a reliable record of the hours and categories used in the calculation. Timesheets alone may miss training, travel or required work outside the planned shift; rotas alone show intention rather than what happened.

Reconcile planned and actual hours when overtime, shift swaps or call-outs occur. The useful record is one a manager can use to spot a breach early and explain why each included or excluded period was treated that way.