Should employers track employee break times?

As explained in our guide to breaks at work, you are legally required to provide your employees with adequate breaks during their working hours.

The Working Time Regulations specifies a minimum of a 20-minute rest break for any staff member working 6 hours or more in one day. To stay compliant, most companies will offer a lunch break, for around 30 minutes to an hour. Allowing staff to eat and rest in the middle of their shift.

Lunch breaks in the UK do not have to be paid.

It is ultimately your decision to allow staff to take this break paid or unpaid, making sure to specify this within individual employment contracts.

Can you dictate when employees take breaks?

Yes, you can, as long as you remain compliant with UK employment laws.

Ensuring you detail your company policies in writing, you can decide when employees can take their breaks at work. This could be within a time frame such as taking 1 hour between 12-2pm or a more stringent policy of a 30-minute lunch break for all staff at 1:30pm.

You may also restrict employees from taking their designated break at the start and end of the day. Or using this allocated time to take short five-minute breaks throughout the day. Ultimately break times benefit the employee but they should also be managed conveniently and effectively to suit the running of your business.

The importance of documenting work breaks

While there’s no specific rule regarding the documentation of work breaks, having records to prove compliance with employment laws is essential.

Rules regarding break times should be included in employee handbooks and employment contracts. While you can also write your own policy on breaks at work too to outline specific details.

Tracking break times with timesheets

Keeping an accurate record of break times not only ensures that you are compliant with the Working Time Regulations, but it holds both you and your employees accountable.

Your employees will be required to be honest, sticking to their allocated time, while you will be responsible for ensuring that, whether paid or unpaid, break times are accounted for within your payroll processes.

If an employee has worked over their break time or are regularly skipping breaks, it may be a good idea to discuss this with them in a one-to-one meeting. Particularly to protect their wellbeing and performance.

Using a timesheet is one way you can track and monitor break times. Requiring staff to record what time they took their break in the day and how long for.

Clocking in and out for breaks

Alternatively, if you’re not keen on using timesheets, a clock in and out system can be just as effective. Particularly if you consider a digital solution to save you time!

A clocking in app, such as Blip, is an excellent tool to allow you to monitor not only when your employees start and end their working day, but also when they take their breaks. If employees are leaving the premises to take their lunch, for example, by clocking in and out, you will be able to see how much time they spent away from their desks during this break.

The benefits of monitoring employee breaks:

• Increased employee accountability

• Improved levels of productivity

• Attendance monitoring

• Accurate payroll processes

• Compliance with working time and record keeping employment laws

By monitoring employee break times, you can ensure that your staff are following the guidelines outlined by your company. Sticking to their allocated break times, helping you to support their wellbeing, boost productivity but to also limit examples of time theft in your business too.

What to do if your employees are taking extended breaks

Firstly, you should have a private conversation with employees to establish and clarify your expectations. If employees persist in taking breaks which surpass their allocation, then you can take disciplinary action as this would be considered a breach of their contract and the company policy.

However disciplinary action should always be a last resort.

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