Break / rest-gap compliance checker
Enter a shift length and the break actually taken, pick Ireland or the UK, and see whether it meets the statutory minimum.
Enter a shift length and break taken to check it.
Ireland: no statutory break is required under 4.5 hours; a 15-minute break applies from 4.5 hours; a 30-minute break (which may include the first 15 minutes) applies from 6 hours, under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.
UK (Great Britain and Northern Ireland): a 20-minute break applies once a shift exceeds 6 hours, under the Working Time Regulations 1998 and the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.
This checks one rule only — the in-shift rest break tied to shift length. It doesn't check daily rest between shifts, weekly rest, or the different rules that can apply to young workers or night workers. Confirm anything that matters against the Workplace Relations Commission (Ireland) or Acas / GOV.UK (UK), not this tool.
Questions
What's the minimum break for a 6-hour shift in Ireland?
Under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, a shift of 6 hours or more entitles the worker to a 30-minute break, which may include the earlier 15-minute break that applies from 4.5 hours.
What's the minimum break for a 6-hour shift in the UK?
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (Great Britain) and the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, a 20-minute break applies once a shift exceeds 6 hours. Exactly 6 hours does not yet trigger it — it's shifts over 6 hours.
Does this check rest between shifts, not just breaks within a shift?
No — this tool checks only the in-shift rest break tied to shift length. Daily rest between shifts (11 hours in both Ireland and the UK, with some exceptions) and weekly rest are separate rules this tool doesn't check.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's a general guide based on the published statutory minimums, for a standard adult worker. Young workers, night workers and some sectors have different or additional rules. For anything that actually matters, confirm with the Workplace Relations Commission (Ireland) or Acas / GOV.UK (UK).
Build the rota so this is never a question
Rotahr's clock in/out tracks breaks against the Irish statutory thresholds automatically and reminds staff when one is due. If you're in the UK, you still get break tracking and reminders — just check the thresholds yourself using this tool until UK rules are built in.