On Sunday, 27th October 2024 at 2:00am the clocks will be set back an hour. What does this mean to staff who work a nightshift? Do they have to be paid extra for an hour’s work? Can they leave the office when they’ve completed their normal number of hours even though they still have an extra hour left?
The clocks switching from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time can be confusing for employees and employers, especially if they are working over night.
Employers are generally responsible for deciding how to handle a situation. However, they must adhere to the legal requirements regarding the minimum wage, working hours, and any other provisions in the employee’s contract of employment.
Check the contract wording
Check the contract language of any employees working during the time change. A shift might be described as being from 10:00pm until 6:00am, or it could require an “eight-hour work shift”.
Employers are not required to pay their employees an extra hour for a certain shift. Hourly-paid employees and salaried workers can have different situations.
It is more common for salaried employees to be asked to work overtime without receiving additional compensation. As long as an employer pays at least the minimum wage in the country, the employee’s right to overtime pay will be determined by the employer’s policies.
Employers can choose to pay for an extra hour or allow their employees to leave the office once they have worked the normal number hours.
Avoid falling below the minimum wage
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Check the rules regarding working time
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Consistency is key
Some workers will gain an extra hour of work when the clocks advance again.
This won’t be the case every time – for example, a worker working an extra hour during the day in October may not work the night shift in March when the clocks advance again.
In the interest of fairness, employers who require their employees to work according to the clock in October, should also do so in March when they can go home an hour earlier.
This article, originally published in 2016, has been updated.
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