How many hours can I legally work per week in the UK?

Under the UK Working Time Regulations 1998, you cannot work more than 48 hours per week on average (calculated over a 17-week reference period). You can voluntarily opt out of this limit by signing a written agreement with your employer, but your employer cannot force you to work more than 48 hours.

Am I entitled to a break during my shift?

Yes. If you work more than 6 hours in a day, you are entitled to a minimum 20-minute uninterrupted rest break. Many employers offer 30 or 60 minutes. Workers under 18 get a 30-minute break after 4.5 hours. These breaks are usually unpaid unless your contract says otherwise.

How is overtime pay calculated in the UK?

There is no legal requirement for employers to pay overtime at a higher rate, as long as your average pay does not fall below the National Minimum Wage. However, many employers pay time-and-a-half (1.5x) or double time (2x) for overtime, bank holidays, or unsocial hours. Check your contract for your specific overtime rate.

What is the UK National Minimum Wage for 2026?

The National Living Wage (for ages 21+) is reviewed annually each April. Check gov.uk for the current rates. The minimum wage also applies to overtime hours, and your average hourly pay including overtime must meet the minimum wage requirement.

Work Time Calculator

Calculate your daily, weekly, and monthly working hours with break deductions, overtime tracking, and pay estimates.

Published by UltraCalculatorsLast reviewed: 26 Mar 2026v1.0Report an issue

This calculator provides estimates for planning purposes. The UK Working Time Regulations limit average working time to 48 hours per week (unless you opt out). Consult your employer or ACAS for specific employment rights questions.

Whether you are tracking your hours for payroll, checking you are not exceeding the UK Working Time Directive limit, or simply wanting to know how many hours you actually work each week, a reliable work time calculator saves you from manual arithmetic. This calculator takes your start and end times, deducts breaks, and gives you daily, weekly, monthly, and annual hour totals. It supports overnight shifts, overtime tracking with customisable pay multipliers, and flags if your total weekly hours exceed the UK legal maximum of 48 hours. If you enter an hourly rate, it will also estimate your regular and overtime pay.

How to Use This Calculator

To calculate your working hours: 1. Enter your start time using the hour and minute fields. Use 24-hour format (e.g., 9 for 9am, 17 for 5pm, 22 for 10pm). 2. Enter your end time in the same format. The calculator handles overnight shifts automatically, so entering a start of 22:00 and end of 06:00 works correctly. 3. Enter your total unpaid break time in minutes. UK law requires at least 20 minutes for shifts over 6 hours. Common break lengths are 30 or 60 minutes. 4. Set the number of days you work per week to calculate your weekly total. 5. For more detail, expand the advanced options. You can add weekly overtime hours, enter an hourly rate for pay estimates, and set an overtime pay multiplier (1.5 for time-and-a-half, 2 for double time). 6. Review the results showing your hours at various time scales, the Working Time Directive compliance check, and your estimated pay if an hourly rate was provided.

How It Works

The calculator converts start and end times to total minutes, then subtracts the break duration. For overnight shifts where the end time is earlier than the start time, 24 hours (1,440 minutes) is added to the end time. Daily hours are the net minutes after breaks, divided by 60. Weekly hours are daily hours multiplied by working days per week. Monthly hours use a factor of 52/12 (4.333 weeks per month) for consistency. Annual hours multiply weekly hours by 52. Overtime is added separately to weekly totals. When an hourly rate is provided, regular pay is calculated at the standard rate and overtime at the specified multiplier (default 1.5x). The Working Time Directive check compares your total weekly hours (including overtime) against the 48-hour UK legal maximum. Exceeding this limit is flagged, though workers can voluntarily opt out.

The UK Working Time Regulations 1998 (as amended) set maximum working hours, rest periods, and annual leave entitlements. Workers aged 18+ cannot be forced to work more than 48 hours per week on average, calculated over a 17-week rolling period. Night workers have additional protections. If you are unsure about your rights, contact ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) for free workplace advice.