Night work and night workers.
A night worker’s normal hours must average no more than 8 in every 24 (regulation 6).
In practice the difference matters: a vet who covers the odd night does night work; one who covers weeknights on a fixed pattern is probably a night worker, with protections of their own.
The limits.
- Average hours: no more than 8 hours in 24 on average for a night worker (regulation 6).
- Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours in every 24 (regulation 10), after a night too.
- Weekly average: 48 hours a week on average over 17 weeks, unless the worker has signed an opt-out (regulations 4 and 5).
- Pay: no statutory premium for nights or overtime; the contract sets it.
What changes on the rota.
- Spread nights so nobody becomes a night worker without it being decided, or accept it and apply the limits.
- After each night, real rest the next day: whoever leaves at 8:00 doesn’t come back that afternoon.
- Count each person’s nights over time, because tiredness adds up.
How it works in Djed.
Djed spreads night on-call with twelve months of memory and a fairness index per person: nights don’t always land on the same people. Rest after a night is a day-based rule you set (“1 rest day after a night on-call”) and the engine doesn’t break it; the 11 hours, counted in hours, it doesn’t check. Djed doesn’t decide who is a night worker or work out night pay: that stays with your adviser. For a fair split of nights, read how to measure fairness for night on-call.
Sources and date checked.
- Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833), regulations 4 to 12. Northern Ireland has its own regulations, the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, with the same limits.
Texts checked on 5 October 2026. This guide is not legal advice: for your own situation, speak to your HR or employment adviser.
Where to go next.
- The working time limits under the Working Time Regulations: our working time guide, the reference guide of this series.
- On-call, which is not usually working time: our on-call guide.
- Long days, if you compress the week: three long days a week.
- Recording night hours: what regulation 9 still requires.
Frequently asked questions.
How long can a night worker work in the UK?
A night worker’s normal hours must average no more than 8 in every 24 (regulation 6 of the Working Time Regulations 1998).
Is there a legal night premium in the UK?
No: the law sets no premium for nights or overtime. Any night rate comes from the contract.