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Hours of Work
There are a number of working options you can choose, including working full-time, part-time, flexible working hours and job share (this is when you and another employee both carry out the job part time covering working different days of the week).
Some employers (especially larger ones) are now more flexible about working arrangements, so that you can work hours or days to suit your lifestyle or family commitments.
Anyone can ask their employer for flexible work arrangements, but by law anyone who is a carer or has children under the age of 16 has the right to ask employers for flexible hours.
- Your normal working hours should be set out in your contract of employment
- Your terms of employment should say what hours and working patterns are involved in your job. You might not have a written contract, but employees must be given written particulars of their main terms and conditions - including the working hours - within two months of starting
- Most workers should not have to work more than an average of 48 hours a week, according to the Working Time Regulations, unless you or you work in a sector with its own special rules (see below)
- The Working Time Regulations also give you rights to paid holiday, rest breaks and limits on night work
Young workers
- If you are under 18 and over school leaving age (you are under school leaving age until the end of the summer term of the school year in which you turn 16) you are classed as a young worker
- Young workers cannot usually be made to work more that eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. These hours can't be averaged over a longer period
There are some exceptions to these rules.
Who is exempt from the working time regulations?
Your working week is not covered by the Working Time Regulations if you work in the following areas:
- Jobs where you can choose freely how long you will work eg a managing executive
- The armed forces, emergency services and police are excluded in some circumstances
- Domestic servants in private houses
- Trainee doctors
- Oil workers in the transport industry (either road, rail, air or sea)
