Guide for Ireland
Working time and breaks checker for Irish rosters
5-star reviews on TrustpilotEnter one person's shifts for the week to check them against the Organisation of Working Time Act: a 15-minute break after 4½ hours and 30 minutes after 6 hours, 11 hours' rest between working days, a 24-hour weekly rest after a daily rest, and the 48-hour average week. Staff aged 16 and 17 have tighter limits.
Enter one person's shifts for a week. It runs in your browser: nothing is sent or saved.
Enter at least one shift.
What it checks
| Rule | 18 and over (Organisation of Working Time Act) | 16 and 17 (Protection of Young Persons Act) |
|---|---|---|
| Break during the shift | 15 minutes after more than 4½ hours; 30 minutes after more than 6 hours (can include the first 15) | 30 minutes after 4½ hours |
| Rest between working days | 11 hours in a row | 12 hours in a row |
| Weekly rest | 24 hours in a row in every 7 days, after a daily rest | 2 days off in every 7 |
| Maximum hours | 48 a week on average (usually over 4 months) | 8 a day, 40 a week |
| Late finishes and early starts | Night work rules apply between midnight and 7am | No start before 6am; finish by 10pm before a school day, 11pm otherwise |
The example already filled in shows a classic Irish pub week: Friday's 12.30am finish followed by an 11am start on Saturday leaves 10 hours 30 minutes, short of the 11 hours. The checker reads two lines on the same day as a split shift, so it checks the break in each block but doesn't treat the gap between them as daily rest.
Breaks don't have to be paid under the Act, but they do have to be given, and they can't be tacked on at the end of the day. Where a split shift or a change of shift makes the normal rest impossible, the Act allows compensatory rest later instead. Write down when that happens: the WRC can ask to see start and finish times, breaks and rest periods for every employee.
Catch it while you build the roster
Fixing a roster after it's published means awkward swaps and unhappy staff. ShiftComplete builds the roster from your team's availability, lets you split a day into up to four blocks, and shows each person's hours as you go. With clocking in switched on, staff clock in and out on their phone or the shared tablet, so you have real start and finish times to show a WRC inspector. It's €1.99 per active staff member a month after a free 60-day trial, with no card needed to start.
Read the full guide to the Organisation of Working Time Act for hospitality, or see the rules for split shifts and rest breaks and young workers in licensed premises.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 48-hour limit per week in Ireland?
No, it's an average. For most employees the 48-hour net working week is averaged over 4 months; where work is seasonal, has a foreseeable surge or is about continuity of service it can be 6 months, and 12 months under a collective agreement approved by the Labour Court. One long week isn't a breach on its own, but a run of them can be.
What breaks do staff get under the Organisation of Working Time Act?
A 15-minute break after more than 4½ hours worked, and a 30-minute break after more than 6 hours, which can include the first 15 minutes. The break can't be at the end of the working day. There is no legal right to be paid for breaks: that depends on the contract.
How many hours off do staff need between shifts?
Adults are entitled to 11 consecutive hours' rest in every 24 hours, plus a weekly rest of 24 consecutive hours in every 7 days that follows a daily rest. Staff aged 16 and 17 get 12 hours off in every 24 and 2 days off in every 7.
Can the rules be different for split shifts?
Where shift changes or split shifts make the normal daily or weekly rest impossible, the Act allows compensatory rest instead: an equivalent rest period taken later. The WRC has a Code of Practice on Compensatory Rest Periods. This checker flags the gap so you can decide whether compensatory rest is needed.
Is this legal advice?
No. It checks a roster against the main rules described by the Workplace Relations Commission and Citizens Information. Some employees and situations are exempt or have different rules, and contracts can be more generous.
Sources
- Working Hours & Breaks (Workplace Relations Commission)
- Work breaks and rest periods (Citizens Information)
- Employment of Children and Young Persons (Workplace Relations Commission)
- Working hours and rest breaks for young people (Citizens Information)
- Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (Irish Statute Book)
Checked 28 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.