Hours, shifts and breaks
Your weekly hours
The standard working week: 40 hours, five days
Your employment agreement must set the maximum number of ordinary weekly hours at 40 or less (excluding any overtime), unless you and your employer agree otherwise.
If the maximum hours are set at 40 or less, you and your employer must try to arrange your hours so that they’re worked on not more than five days of the week.
Note: In certain cases, employees who are responsible for caring for others – a child or elderly relative for example – can ask their employer for flexible work hours, and the employer can refuse only on set grounds (see “Flexible working” in this chapter).
