Take a break
Question
How long should my breaks last at work and how many breaks should I be allowed to take in an average working day?
Answer
The hours you have to work and the amount of break time you're entitled to is determined by the European Working Time Directive as implemented by the UK Government. The Department for Business and Enterprise website has the full details of the UK position but basically, you are entitled to a 20 minute break if your shift is six hours or longer.
There is nothing in any of the legislation that sets down your rights to other personal needs breaks but these may be explicit in your written contract or implied by what normally happens in your company. If any of your colleagues are under 18 then special rules apply that say they can have a break of 30 minutes if their shift is longer than 4.5 hours.
The directive also lays down rules about time off between shifts, days off per week, the minimum amount of paid holiday you are allowed in a year and limits the number of hours you have to work in a week.
If you go to work in another European country you may find that these rules are different from the UK and will usually be more generous with regard to holidays etc.
Updated: 13/04/2010
Question answered by CAB
