How to Stay Compliant with UK Working Time Regulations in 2025

Whether you run a small local business or a large enterprise, UK Working Time Regulations (WTR) apply to you. These laws govern the hours your employees work, rest periods, and annual leave entitlements.

In 2025, compliance has never been more important. With increasing HMRC audits, rising employee awareness of their rights, and larger penalties for breaches, it’s critical to have a clear, trackable record of working hours.

The good news? With the right systems in place, staying compliant doesn’t have to be stressful.

1. ⏰ Understand the Basic Rules

The core UK Working Time Regulations state that:

• The average working week should not exceed 48 hours (over a 17-week period).
• Workers are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of rest in any 24-hour period.
• Employees must have a 20-minute break for shifts longer than 6 hours.
• At least 28 days of paid annual leave per year (including public holidays).

📌 Tip: You can offer an “opt-out” agreement for the 48-hour limit, but it must be voluntary and documented.

2. 📊 Keep Accurate Records

The law requires you to keep records showing:

• Daily and weekly hours worked.
• Break times and rest days.
• Annual leave taken.

Manual methods like paper timesheets or spreadsheets can lead to gaps and errors — and missing data can count as non-compliance during an inspection.

✅ A digital time and attendance system automatically logs hours and stores them securely for easy reporting.

3. 🛡️ Manage Overtime Responsibly

Overtime can easily push employees over the legal weekly limit or reduce required rest periods.

• Monitor average hours over the 17-week reference period.
• Ensure extra shifts don’t breach minimum rest breaks.
• Flag patterns of excessive overtime to protect both compliance and employee wellbeing.

💡 A good system can send automatic alerts when an employee is close to their legal limit.

4. 📅 Track Annual Leave Properly

Annual leave isn’t just a benefit — it’s a legal requirement. Businesses that fail to give employees their statutory holiday entitlement face fines and potential employment tribunal claims.

• Use a centralised leave calendar.
• Ensure unused statutory leave is carried over where required.
• Encourage employees to take their full allowance for health and productivity.

📌 Digital absence management tools can calculate entitlements automatically and prevent double-bookings.

5. ⚖️ Prepare for Audits and Inspections

HMRC or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can request your working time records at any time.

Be ready by:

• Keeping at least two years’ worth of time records.
• Storing them in an organised, searchable format.
• Being able to produce reports within minutes, not days.

📌 Digital timekeeping software can export compliant reports instantly, avoiding the panic of manual audits.

Conclusion

UK Working Time Regulations aren’t optional — they’re law. But compliance doesn’t have to be complicated.

By switching from manual record-keeping to a modern, automated time and attendance system, you can:

• Ensure accuracy.
• Reduce admin stress.
• Avoid costly penalties.

In 2025, the safest (and smartest) move is to let our technology do the heavy lifting.