There are working time limits that state the legal maximum weekly working hours that a person has to work. They should not exceed 48 hours a week on average. The maximum hours for under 18’s is fixed at no more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.
The average working hours are calculated over a 17-week period and includes overtime. This means that an employee may work more than 48 hours in some weeks as long as the average over the 17-week period does not exceed 48 hours. A person can choose to work more by opting out of the 48-hour week but cannot be forced to do so or suffer any detriment by not signing. This is known as an opt-out agreement.
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