How do I organise rest breaks for staff working extra hours during busy periods?

“I am an employer in Northern Ireland’s agriculture industry entering a very busy period for my business. I need my workers to be more available during this time to work longer hours and/or extra shifts. How can I achieve this, without breaching my obligations towards rest periods?”

You should be aware that the starting position is that workers are allowed a daily rest period of 11 hours uninterrupted rest per 24-hour period, and a weekly rest period of 24 hours uninterrupted rest in every seven-day period. This is covered by the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (WTR). At your (the employer’s) choice, this weekly rest period can instead consist of two uninterrupted 24-hour