Night working hours
Exceptions to night work limits
The limits on night working hours do not usually apply:
- in the armed forces and emergency services
- to domestic staff employed in a private house
- when people can choose how long they work - for example, company executives or freelancers
The limits on night working hours do not apply:
- in jobs that need round-the-clock staffing, like hospital work
- in an industry with busy peak periods, like agriculture, retail, tourism, security and surveillance
- if there’s an emergency or an accident
- if a member of staff has to travel a long distance from home to work or constantly works in different places
- if a collective or workforce agreement excludes or changes the restriction on night work
Different rules apply to workers in road, sea and air transport.
Rest breaks if night work limits do not apply
Workers must get ‘compensatory rest’ instead of a normal working week with breaks during the day.
Compensatory rest is a minimum of 90 hours rest per week on average.
Employers must also follow the general rules on working hours.
If you’re not sure whether these exceptions apply in your situation, contact Acas.