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Night work

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, night time is the period from 11pm to 6am unless the employer and workers agree a different window. A night worker is someone who normally works at least three hours of their shift during night time — a common pattern in care homes, hotels and 24-hour retail.

The rules

  • Night workers must not average more than eight hours of work in each 24-hour period, normally measured over a 17-week reference period.
  • Where the work involves special hazards or heavy strain, the eight hours is an absolute nightly limit, not an average.
  • Employers must offer a free health assessment before someone starts night work and at regular intervals afterwards, and move them to day work where possible if a doctor advises the nights are affecting their health.

Pay for nights

There is no statutory night premium in the UK. Whether nights pay more is a contractual matter — many employers choose to offer an enhanced rate, but the only legal floor is that average pay must not drop below the National Minimum Wage.

Working Time Regulations 1998, regulations 6–7 — guidance from the Health and Safety Executive and GOV.UK.

Tommy makes night patterns visible across the rota, so you can see who is regularly on nights and keep their hours within the limits.

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