What is the statutory minimum rest break I'm entitled to?

What the Law Says

The statutory minimum rest break entitlement for workers in the UK is set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998, which implement the EU Working Time Directive and remain in force post-Brexit.

If you are a 'worker' (including employees, agency workers, and some freelancers), you are entitled to a rest break of at least 20 minutes when your daily working time exceeds 6 hours.

This break must be uninterrupted, taken during the working day (not at the start or end), and you must be free from work duties — meaning you can’t be required to stay on call or respond to messages.

In addition, you’re entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest between working days, and either 24 hours of uninterrupted rest each week (or 48 hours every two weeks).

Statutory Text

Where an adult worker's daily working time is more than six hours, he is entitled to a rest break of at least twenty minutes.

— Working Time Regulations 1998, reg. 12(1) — Rest breaks

Statutory Text

An adult worker is entitled to a rest period of not less than eleven consecutive hours in each 24-hour period during which he works.

— Working Time Regulations 1998, reg. 10(1) — Daily rest

Statutory Text

An adult worker is entitled to a rest period of not less than twenty-four hours in each seven-day period.

— Working Time Regulations 1998, reg. 11(1) — Weekly rest

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