Free tool
Working time rest checker
The Working Time Regulations set minimum rest between shifts and a cap on average weekly hours. Check a real shift pattern against the two rules rota planners hit most.
Daily rest between shifts
Adult workers are entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24-hour period — in practice, between the end of one shift and the start of the next.
Average weekly hours
Working time is capped at an average of 48 hours per week, normally measured over a 17-week reference period, unless the worker has signed a voluntary opt-out.
Workers are also entitled to 24 hours of uninterrupted rest per week (or 48 hours per fortnight) and a 20-minute break on shifts over six hours. This checker covers the common cases — guidance, not legal advice; check gov.uk or take advice for sector exceptions.
TeamZap warns about rest-break conflicts while you build the rota — before anyone is scheduled into one. See how scheduling works — or read the Working Time Regulations glossary entry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 11-hour rest rule?
Adult workers are entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest in every 24-hour period — in practice, at least 11 hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next. Workers under 18 are entitled to 12 hours.
Can an employee ever work with less than 11 hours between shifts?
Some situations allow it — shift changeovers, genuine emergencies, and certain special-case activities. Where an exception applies, the worker is usually still owed an equivalent period of compensatory rest taken soon after.
What is the 48-hour week and the opt-out?
Working time must not exceed an average of 48 hours per week, normally averaged over 17 weeks. A worker can choose to opt out in writing — it must be genuinely voluntary, and they can cancel it with notice. Night workers and under-18s have stricter limits that the opt-out does not cover.
Rest rules checked while you build the rota
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