Working Time, Rest Breaks and On-Call Time

Life on an equestrian yard is busy – long hours, early starts, and late nights are part of the job.

Because of this, it’s really  important that both employers and employees need to be aware of and stay up to date on the legal rules around working time and rest, especially as these can differ depending on the employee in question and time they undertake work.

These rules aren’t just “red tape” – they’re there to protect health, safety, and wellbeing.

So, what are the key points every equestrian employer should know?

The Basics: Working Time Rules

Here are five essentials you should keep in mind:

Weekly limits

Workers should not work more than 48 hours a week on average over 17 weeks, unless they’ve signed a written agreement to “opt out” of this weekly limit.  

Daily rest

Workers must have 11 consecutive hours’ rest between finishing work and starting work the following day. In the event this is not possible, for example due to the way shifts are arranged, then compensatory rest must be provided to make up for any missed rest during the working day.

Weekly rest

Workers are entitled to at least 24 hours off in a 7-day period (or 48 hours off every fortnight).

Breaks during the day

If someone works more than six hours in a day, they must have at least a 20-minute uninterrupted break.

This should not be taken at the start or end of the day but taken during the working day to ensure it has the desired effect of allowing a break from work. Often, this will be included as a lunch break under an employee’s contractual terms.

Young workers (reached school leaving age but under 18)

Stricter protections apply to young workers: maximum 8 hours of work per day, 40 hours per week, a 30-minute break after 4.5 hours, 12 hours rest in any 24 hour working period and 48 hours’ rest each week (unless there is a good business reason why this is not possible and then at least 36 hours must be taken, with the other 12 taken as soon as possible afterwards).

Keep clear records of hours and rota patterns to help show compliance with the above under the Working Time Regulations 1998.

Night Work

Not everyone in equestrian life works “office hours.” For staff classed as night workers (typically working between 11pm–6am):

• They shouldn’t work more than 8 hours in any 24-hour period, on average.
• They are entitled to free health checks before starting night work and at regular intervals afterwards.

Generally, young workers must not work during the following period:

• between 10pm and 6am if their contract does not say.
• between 11pm and 7am if their contract allows for them to work after 10pm.

There are some exceptions allowing young workers to work some of these hours in limited role however, they must never work between midnight and 4am.

“On-Call” Time – A Grey Area Explained

You may require someone to be “on call” or “on standby” in case of emergencies, foaling, or caring for sick horses. But does this time count as working time?

There is no clear answer however, time spent on call can count towards working time, depending on the circumstances.

If the worker must undertake work that they are required to do under their contract of employment and remain on site (e.g. in staff accommodation, ready to respond immediately)

This usually counts as working time, even if they are asleep.

If the worker is free to go about their personal activities elsewhere but must be reachable by phone

This is not working time until they are actually called out. However, once called out, the hours spent actively working are counted as working time.

Generally, it is more likely to count as working time if the employer has control over the worker’s activities, place of work and time.

Looking after horses is demanding work, but looking after people is just as important. Making sure your team has the right balance of hours, rest and support keeps everyone healthier, happier, and more effective.

If you’re unsure about how the rules apply to your yard, especially around “on-call” time, please do reach out to the EEA or Wright Hassall teams – we’ll be happy to help.