Most hospitality managers know the basic rule: if someone works more than six hours, they are entitled to a 20-minute uninterrupted rest break. It is in the Working Time Regulations 1998 and it is not optional. But knowing the rule and actually making it happen on a busy Friday night are two different things.
Why breaks get skipped
Cover shortages, peak service pressure, normalised culture of pushing through, and lack of planning are the common reasons breaks get missed. None of these are legal defences.
Young workers: the lower threshold
For workers aged 16 and 17, the break entitlement is 30 minutes after 4.5 hours, not 20 minutes after 6 hours. Young workers also require 12 hours between shifts rather than 11.
Build breaks into the rota
Schedule breaks as a specific slot on the rota rather than leaving them as a vague intention. For each shift over six hours (or 4.5 hours for young workers), assign a break window.
Record keeping
Actual clock-in and clock-out times, break start and end times logged separately, and a system that flags when a shift exceeds six hours without a recorded break. Records should be retained for at least two years.
RotaKeep includes time and attendance tracking with break recording built in. Shifts that exceed the threshold without a logged break are flagged automatically. Start a free 14-day trial to see how it works with your team.