Back
Menu
Back
SALARY PAYMENT IN British Pound (GBP, £)
CONTRACT LANGUAGE English
PAYROLL TAX 8.25%
PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly
TIME TO HIRE 12 hours
Get Started
Hire and pay talents
with Horizons in
180+ countries
UK
Anything between 35 and 40 hours is considered to be standard working hours in the United Kingdom. The most common working hours in the UK are 37.5 hours per week.
Standard working days for most industries in the United Kingdom are Monday to Friday. For some industries like retail, weekend working is considered standard.
Employees can work up to 48 hours on a standard contract, although most contracts are 40 hours or less.
Employees that want to work more than 48 hours a week will need to opt-out of the Working Time Directive. Employers cannot terminate an employee or otherwise treat them unfairly if they do not wish to opt-out of the Working Time Directive. Employees can opt back in to the Working Time Directive with 7 days notice to their employer.
In the UK, there is no specific number of hours that determines if someone is full or part-time, but working for 35 hours or more is generally considered as full-time. anything below 35 hours per week is considered part time.
Overtime is generally worked out on a case by case basis. Overtime is only compulsory if stipulated in the employment contract, and employees cannot be required to work more than 48 hours per week unless they opt-out of the Working Time Directive.
Where overtime is in the contract, there are 3 compensation options:
It is not illegal to work on the weekend in the UK.
A 4 day work week is not standard in the UK, but some employers are currently trialling a 4 day work week in the UK, and it is seen as a desirable benefit by most employees in the UK.
Your business can easily hire employees in the UK without opening a local entity. We handle local employment law, complex tax regulations, and international payroll in 185 countries worldwide. All you need to do is focus on your business.
Overtime should not cause an employee’s weekly hours to exceed 48, unless they have opted out of the working Time Directive.
Employers do not have to pay workers for overtime, but you must ensure that employee’s average pay for the total hours worked does not fall below the National Minimum Wage.
Although not a legal requirement, overtime in the UK often attracts a premium rate higher than the employee’s normal hourly rate. However, there is no legal requirement to pay an enhanced rate for overtime. Overtime conditions are subject to contractual agreement, so employers should ensure that employment contracts stipulate what rate, if any, is paid for overtime.
Headquarters
71 Robinson Road #13-153
Singapore 068895
+65 3158 1382
Europe
Skalitzer Str. 85/86
10997, Berlin
+49 30 3119 9653
Americas
1700 S. Lamar Blvd Suite 338
Austin, Texas 78704
+1 (737) 265-6065
See more locations
Horizons © 2024 – Privacy Imprint & Terms Third-Party Processor GDPR Policy
