Preloaded UK policy

Night Work Policy template

WTR 1998: 8-hour average limit, health assessments, night worker definition and records.

Legal basis
  • Working Time Regulations 1998
  • Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2023
Last reviewed April 2025. Guidance, not legal advice.

What the policy covers

  1. 1. POLICY STATEMENT
    your company is committed to managing night work safely and in compliance with the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR).
  2. 2. DEFINITIONS
    Night Time: the period between 23:00 and 06:00 (or an alternative seven-hour period agreed in writing that includes midnight to 05:00).
  3. 3. MAXIMUM NIGHT WORKING HOURS
    Night workers must not work on average more than 8 hours per 24-hour period, calculated over a 17-week reference period (or such other reference period as may be agreed in a workfo
  4. 4. HEALTH ASSESSMENTS
    Before commencing night work, all night workers are entitled to a free health assessment.
  5. 5. REST ENTITLEMENTS
    Night workers are entitled to the same rest entitlements as day workers:
  6. 6. YOUNG WORKERS
    Workers under 18 must not work between 22:00 and 06:00 (or 23:00 and 07:00 in certain circumstances).
  7. 7. RECORDS
    your company will maintain adequate records to demonstrate compliance with the night work limits.
  8. 8. REVIEW
    This policy will be reviewed annually and following any relevant change in working time legislation.

Who needs it

Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.

Questions people ask

Is a night work policy a legal requirement?

It rests on Working Time Regulations 1998 and Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2023. Some policies must be written down once a business reaches a certain size or does certain work; others are simply how a tribunal, an inspector or a client's auditor expects to see that you have thought about it. A clear, dated, signed policy is the evidence either way. Guidance, not legal advice.

Can I change it to suit how we work?

Yes. Inside Work-Lynx it is a starting point: put your company name in, adjust the arrangements to what you actually do, set the review date and publish it. Staff read and acknowledge it on their phones, and you can see who has not.

Is it up to date?

Last reviewed April 2025. The pack is updated when the law moves, and every policy carries a review date so it does not quietly go stale.

How do I get it?

It is preloaded in Work-Lynx with the other 48 UK policies. Work-Lynx is £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee, 14 days free, no card, and what you see on the pricing page is the bill.

Who is it for?

Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.

All 49 UK policies, £2.50 a month

This policy and 48 others are already in Work-Lynx, alongside GPS clock-in, rotas, timesheets, leave and Employ AI for UK employment law. £2.50 base plus £1 per employee a month. 14 days free, no card, no sales call.

Start free trial