Working Hours and Overtime in Guernsey

In Guernsey, your company must comply with working hour and overtime laws – including daily limits, overtime thresholds, and rest requirements – to stay compliant and build a strong employee experience.

Although Guernsey’s framework is less prescriptive than some neighbouring jurisdictions, regulators and tribunals expect employers to apply fair, transparent, and health-conscious working patterns. You should clearly define standard hours, overtime rules, and rest arrangements in contracts and policies, monitor actual hours worked, and ensure that pay never falls below applicable minimum wage levels. Looking ahead to 2026, employers should anticipate closer scrutiny of working time records, stronger expectations around wellbeing and fatigue management, and potential reforms that align more closely with UK and EU-style protections.

• Standard Working Hours
• Overtime Thresholds
• Overtime Pay Rates
• Daily And Weekly Rest Requirements
• Night Work Restrictions
• Penalties For Non-Compliance

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Guernsey?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. An employee whose age is 17 or older is allowed to work 48 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 30 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 6 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 9:00 to 17:30.

Maximum Working Hours In Guernsey

Guernsey does not currently prescribe a single statutory daily cap on working hours for adults, but employers are expected to follow broadly accepted standards based on UK and EU norms. In practice, you should treat 48 hours per week averaged over a reference period as the upper limit for most adult employees, including any regular overtime. Long working patterns that consistently exceed this level can raise health and safety concerns and may be challenged under general duty-of-care obligations, especially where risk is heightened, such as in safety-critical roles.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Hospitality And Tourism Operations
• Health And Social Care Services
• Financial Services And Banking
• Transport, Ports, And Logistics
• Emergency And Essential Public Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managers, directors, and certain highly autonomous professionals often work beyond standard office hours to meet business needs. While Guernsey does not operate a formal “exempt” classification regime like some jurisdictions, you can agree broader flexibility in senior contracts, provided that working patterns remain reasonable, do not compromise health and safety, and are transparently documented. For these roles, it is common to pay a higher salary that is understood to cover a degree of additional time rather than paying hourly overtime, but you should still monitor workloads, ensure adequate rest, and avoid open-ended expectations of availability.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Guernsey

There is no single statutory definition of full-time hours in Guernsey law, so the concept is largely contractual. Many employers define full-time work as between 35 and 40 hours per week, typically spread over five days, excluding unpaid meal breaks. Whatever pattern you adopt, you should set it out clearly in the written statement of terms, specify how breaks are treated, and explain how any additional hours will be managed and compensated. For part-time and flexible arrangements, ensure that entitlements such as holiday and benefits are pro-rated against your internal full-time benchmark.

Overtime Regulations In Guernsey

What Counts As Overtime In Guernsey?

Overtime in Guernsey is primarily a contractual concept rather than a strictly defined statutory category. In most cases, overtime means any hours worked in excess of the employee’s normal contractual working hours, whether those are expressed as a daily, weekly, or monthly total. You should define in writing what constitutes normal hours, when overtime may be required, whether it must be pre-authorised, and how it will be recorded. For salaried staff, clarify whether occasional additional hours are deemed included in salary or whether separate overtime or time off in lieu will apply.

Maximum Overtime In Guernsey

There is no standalone statutory ceiling on overtime hours in Guernsey, but total working time – including overtime – should not routinely exceed an average of 48 hours per week for adult employees. Excessive overtime can undermine health and safety obligations and may be scrutinised by regulators or in employment disputes, particularly where fatigue could increase the risk of accidents. Employers should implement internal caps, require managerial approval for extended hours, and use rotas or shift planning tools to ensure that overtime remains exceptional rather than the norm.

Overtime Payout Rates In Guernsey

Guernsey law does not mandate specific premium rates for overtime, such as time-and-a-half or double time. Instead, overtime pay is governed by the employment contract, collective agreements, or company policy. Many employers choose to pay 1.25–1.5 times the basic hourly rate for weekday overtime and higher premiums for Sundays or public holidays, or to offer time off in lieu at an enhanced rate. Whatever approach you adopt, you must ensure that the employee’s overall pay does not fall below any applicable minimum wage for the total hours worked, and you should communicate overtime rates, eligibility, and approval processes clearly in writing.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Guernsey

In Guernsey, employees commonly work around 8 hours per day and 35–40 hours per week, and you should structure rest periods and breaks so that these hours can be worked safely and sustainably. This means building in meal breaks during shifts that exceed 6 hours, ensuring reasonable gaps between the end of one working day and the start of the next, and providing regular weekly rest so that total working time – including any overtime – does not lead to fatigue or health and safety risks.

• Meal Break Requirements
• Daily Rest
• Weekly Rest
• Minors
• Employer Duties