Maximum weekly working time

The maximum average working week is 48 hours. Averaging may be balanced out over a 4, 6 or 12 month period depending on the circumstances. The provision relating to the 48 hour week operates as follows:

48 hour net maximum working week can be averaged according to the following rules:-

* For employees generally - 4 months
* For employees where work is subject to seasonality, a foreseeable surge in activity or where employees are directly involved in ensuring continuity of service or production - 6 months
* For all employees who enter into a collective agreement with their employers which is approved by the Labour Court - 12 months.


Rest

Every employee has a general entitlement to:

* 11 hours daily rest per 24 hour period
* one period of 24 hours rest per week preceded by a daily rest period (11 hours)
* Rest breaks - 15 minutes where up to 4½ hours have been worked; 30 minutes where up to 6 hours have been worked which may include the first break.

These rest breaks and intervals may be varied if there is a collective agreement in place approved by the Labour Court or if a regulation has been made for your sector. If there are variations in rest times and rest intervals under agreements or in the permitted sectors, equivalent compensatory rest must be available to the employee.


Night workers

Night time is the period between midnight and 7 am the following day.

Night workers are employees who normally work at least 3 hours of their daily working time during night time and the annual number of hours worked at night equals or exceeds 50% of annual working time.

Maximum night working time:

* for nightworkers generally - 48 hours per week averaged over 2 months or a longer period specified in a collective agreement which must be approved by the Labour Court
* for nightworkers whose work involves special hazards or heavy physical or mental strain - an absolute limit of 8 hours in a 24 hour period during which they perform night work