Compulsory rest at work: how many hours of rest should be taken during the working day?
Ensuring productivity and maintaining a competitive position in the modern marketplace requires being aware of the physical and mental health of workers. Thus, companies must ensure compliance with the compulsory weekly rest period, but how much rest time do workers have during their working day?
In this article, BoostWorker details everything related to work rest, its importance in the functioning of companies and the penalties for non-compliance.
What does the regulation on compulsory weekly rest provide for?
The minimum rest periods for workers are set out in the Workers’ Statute. Thus, there are several considerations to take into account depending on the condition of the worker or the type of contract:
1. Breaks during the working day
- The minimum rest period for working days of more than six hours shall not be less than 15 minutes.
- Workers whose working hours are equal to eight hours shall be entitled to a single 30-minute rest break or, failing that, two 15-minute breaks.
- Children under 18 years of age shall be entitled to a minimum rest break of 30 minutes if their working day is at least four and a half hours.
2. Breaks between days
The mandatory minimum rest period between the end of one working day and the beginning of the next must be a minimum period of 12 interrupted hours, in order to ensure workers’ rest and leisure time.
3. Compulsory weekly rest
The compulsory weekly rest period must be at least one and a half uninterrupted days, which may be accumulated in periods of 14 days. As a general rule, this usually includes Saturday afternoon or Monday morning and the whole of Sunday.
In the case of workers under 18 years of age, their minimum weekly rest period is two uninterrupted days.
Importance of mandatory rest breaks
In addition to being mandatory by law, work breaks are vital for the proper functioning of the company’s operations and productivity. In this sense, some of its main benefits are:
- Mantenimiento de la concentración y motivación de los trabajadores.
- Disminución de los accidentes laborales y errores humanos.
- Mejora del clima laboral y retención de talento.
- Garantía del derecho a la conciliación de la vida profesional y personal.
Penalties for non-compliance with the mandatory rest period
Failure to comply with the mandatory rest period carries a series of financial penalties, which vary according to the degree of infringement:
- Minimum penalties: 751 to 1,500 euros
- Medium penalties: 1,501 to 3,750 euros.
- Maximum penalties: 3,751 to 7,500 euros.
Comply with labour regulations with BoostWorker
As we have seen, rest is a fundamental right for all workers and a vital mechanism to guarantee their health and work-life balance. Therefore, support the regulations and avoid these infringements by implementing work management software such as BoostWorker, which will allow your company to regulate the working day and properly comply with rest periods.