Rest Periods Between Shifts
Ensure employees get adequate rest between consecutive shifts.
Coming Soon
Rest Period Requirements is currently in development and not yet available. This documentation provides a preview of what's coming. We'll notify you when this feature launches!
What Are Rest Period Rules?
Rest period rules enforce a minimum number of hours off between consecutive shifts. This prevents "clopening" (closing one night and opening the next morning) and ensures employee well-being and compliance.
Example: If rest period is set to 10 hours and an employee works until 11 PM, they cannot be scheduled to start before 9 AM the next day.
Setting Up Rest Period Rules
Go to Rest Period Settings
Navigate to Settings → Rules → Rest Periods.
Enable Rest Period Enforcement
Toggle on "Enforce minimum rest periods".
Set Minimum Hours
Enter the minimum hours required between shifts (common values: 8, 10, 11, or 12 hours).
Choose Enforcement Level
Select how strictly to enforce:
- • Warn: Show warning but allow scheduling
- • Block: Prevent violating schedules from being saved
Common Rest Period Requirements
| Jurisdiction/Industry | Minimum Rest |
|---|---|
| EU Working Time Directive | 11 hours |
| California (healthcare) | 11-12 hours |
| New York City (retail/fast food) | 11 hours |
| Oregon (predictive scheduling) | 10 hours |
| Most union contracts | 8-12 hours |
Check your local laws and any applicable union contracts for specific requirements.
Different Rules for Different Roles
You can set up different rest period requirements by:
Position
Different roles may have different requirements (e.g., drivers need more rest than office staff).
Department
Healthcare departments may need stricter rules than administrative departments.
Age
Minor employees (under 18) often have stricter rest requirements.
Handling Violations
When a schedule violates rest period rules:
Warning shown
A warning indicator appears on the affected shifts.
Details provided
Click the warning to see exactly how much rest time is short.
Override option
If enforcement allows, managers can override with a documented reason.
Note: All overrides are logged in the audit trail for compliance review.
Rest Periods & AI Scheduling
When using AI scheduling, rest period rules are automatically respected:
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