This guide from The HR Company outlines employee break entitlements, rest periods, and working-time limits for Irish workplaces, as defined by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. A rest period is defined as any time that is not working time.

What are legal break times in Ireland?

Employees have a statutory entitlement to rest breaks during the working day. Employers are not legally required to pay for these breaks unless provided for by contract or policy. Details for specific shift lengths are set out in the sections below.

Legal break times for an 8-hour shift in Ireland — what applies?

By the time an employee works 6 hours in a shift, they are entitled to at least a 30-minute break; that 30 minutes may include the earlier 15-minute entitlement after 4.5 hours. For an 8-hour day, the practical minimum is therefore 30 minutes’ break. Employers are not obliged to pay for these breaks.

How many breaks in a 12-hour shift in Ireland?

As working time increases, break time increases. Minimum entitlements outlined by The HR Company include: a 15-minute break after 4.5 hours; a 30-minute break after 6 hours (which can subsume the 15 minutes); a 45-minute break after 10.5 hours; and a 1-hour break after 12 hours worked.

What counts as daily and weekly rest in Ireland?

Employees must receive at least 11 consecutive hours’ rest in each 24-hour period. In every 7-day period they should also get 24 consecutive hours’ rest that follows an 11-hour daily rest (often totalling 35 hours). If a full 24-hour rest is not given in one week, two such 24-hour periods must be given the following week, and—unless otherwise agreed—the weekly rest should include a Sunday.

Do night workers have different rest and hour limits?

“Night-time” is midnight to 7:00 a.m. A worker is a night worker if at least three hours of their shift fall in that window and they work at least half of their annual hours at night. Night workers are limited to an average of 48 hours per week averaged over 2 months (rather than 4), and where the work involves special hazards or strain they must not exceed 8 hours in any 24-hour period.

Are any jobs exempt from standard break entitlements in Ireland?

There are sector-specific rules and exclusions:

• Shop employees: if scheduled between 11:30 and 14:30 and working more than 6 hours, they are entitled to one consecutive hour during that window.
• Certain groups are outside these rules: An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, employees who manage their own working time, and family employees on farms or in private homes.
• Employees under 18 are governed by the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996.
• In genuine emergencies or exceptional circumstances, missed rest may be postponed but equivalent compensatory rest must be given within a reasonable period.
• Workers in transport activities or some civil protection services are exempt from the statutory break regulations; the equivalent compensatory rest rule does not apply to them.

Do employers have to pay for legal break times in Ireland?

No. Breaks do not have to be paid and are generally excluded from calculations of working time, unless the contract or policy states otherwise.

What are the working-time limits and averaging rules in Ireland?

The average maximum working time is 48 hours per week, normally averaged over 4 months. In sectors with seasonality or continuity-of-service requirements (e.g., hospitals, airports, supermarkets), the averaging reference period may be 6 months. With a Labour Court-approved agreement, the averaging period can extend to 12 months.

What is the time limit to complain about missed breaks?

Employees generally have 6 months to lodge a complaint about breaks and rest periods, extendable to 12 months in certain circumstances.

Break entitlements in Ireland: practical notes and limits

The source pages summarise typical entitlements but do not cover every scheduling scenario (e.g., split shifts or collective agreements). Employers should check contracts, policies, and any sector-specific rules before finalising rosters. (Uncertainty noted due to scope limits of the cited pages.)