Hours of Work And Rest
Introduction
Answer the questions listed in each step to find out if your business meets the basic requirements for Alberta's employment standards for hours of work and rest. On the last page you’ll see results based on your answers, along with information about your rights and obligations as an employer.
Use the 'Previous' button to change your answers at any time. Or click 'Start again' to explore different employment scenarios.
Disclaimer: In the event of any discrepancy between this information and Alberta's Employment Standards legislation, the legislation is considered correct.
Summary & Results
You indicated that:
Workers who either are the owner or a family member of the owner (or spouse of the owner) of the farm/ranch they are working on are exempt from all Employment Standards rules, including hours of work and rest.
Non-family members working on the farm to help out or participate in 4-H activities are also exempt from Employment Standards rules.
For more information, visit the farm and ranch employment standards exceptions.
You indicated that:
Please note that effective January 31, 2020, farm and ranch employers with 5 or fewer waged, non-family workers, are exempt from employment standards laws. Farm and ranch employers with 6 or more waged, non-family workers who work more than six months in a row will continue to be subject to existing Employment Standards laws. For more information and to identify if the information below applies to you, please visit the Farm and ranch – Employment standards exemptions website.
Daily Hours of Work and Rest Periods (breaks)
Based on the information provided, you meet the requirements for daily hours of work and rest periods. are exempt from the minimum standards for daily hours of work and rest.
For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
Based on the information provided, you meet the requirements for daily hours of work by not requiring your employees to work shifts longer than 12 hours.
Based on the information provided, you do not meet the requirements for daily hours of work.
An employee’s work must be confined within a period of 12 consecutive hours per day, unless one of the following occurs:
- an accident occurs or urgent work is required
- other unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances
- a variance authorizes longer hours
Based on the information you provided, you meet the requirements for daily hours of work.
The hours of work for must be confined within a period of 1316 consecutive hours in a work day, unless one of the following occurs:
- an accident occurs or urgent work is required
- other unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances
- a variance authorizes longer hours
Each employer must allow each employee at least 8 consecutive hours of rest after an employee completes a shift where the hours of work exceed 12 consecutive hours.
All other minimum requirements for Rest periods apply.
Based on the information you provided, you meet the requirements for daily hours of work.
The requirement to confine an employee’s hours of work within a period of 12 consecutive hours in a work day doesn’t apply to .
Each employer must allow each employee at least 8 consecutive hours of rest after an employee completes a shift where the hours of work exceed 12 consecutive hours. All other minimum requirements for days of rest apply.
Based on the information provided, you meet the requirements for daily rest period. Since work shifts are 5 hours or shorter per day, daily rest periods are not required.
Based on the information provided, you meet the requirements for daily rest periods by providing your employee(s) with two 30 minute breaks or four 15 minute breaks for each 5 hours of shift time.
Based on the information provided, you do not meet the requirements for daily rest periods.
Based on the information provided, you meet the requirements for daily rest periods by providing your employee(s) with the required breaks as outlined under a collective agreement.
Based on the information provided, you do not meet the requirements for daily rest periods.
Based on the information provided, you meet the requirements for daily rest periods by providing your employee(s) with at least one 30 minute break or two 15 minute breaks for each 5 hours of shift time.
Based on the information provided, you do not meet the requirements for daily rest periods. You are providing your employee(s) with the appropriate amount of break time, however there are also rules around the timing of breaks.
Most employees in Alberta are entitled to breaks as follows:
- For shifts 5 hours or less in length: no breaks
- For shifts more than 5 but less than 10 hours in length: one 30 minute break
- For shifts longer than 10 hours: two 30 minute breaks.
For more information, see: https://www.alberta.ca/hours-work-rest.aspx
Every employer must allow each employee at least 8 consecutive hours of rest after an employee completes a shift where the hours of work exceed 12 consecutive hours.
Rest periods are required, unless one of the following occurs:
- an accident occurs or urgent work is required
- other unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances
- a variance or collective agreement authorizes different rest provisions
- it is not reasonable for the employee to take a rest period
Days of Rest
Based on the information you provided, you meet the requirements for days of rest. are exempt from the minimum standards for weekly hours of work and rest.
For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
Based on the information you provided, you meet the requirements for days of rest. are entitled to at least 4 days of rest in each period of 28 consecutive days.
For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
Based on the information you provided, you do not meet the requirements for days of rest. are entitled to at least 4 days of rest in each period of 28 consecutive days.
For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
Based on the information you provided, you do not meet the requirements for days of rest.
Employees are entitled to at least 1 day of rest each work week. Work weeks can be combined so the employee receives at least the following days of rest:
- 2 consecutive days of rest in each period of 2 consecutive work weeks
- 3 consecutive days of rest in each period of 3 consecutive work weeks
- 4 consecutive days of rest in each period of 4 consecutive work weeks
Every employer must allow each employee at least 4 consecutive days of rest after each period of 24 consecutive work days.
For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
Based on the information you provided, you meet the requirements for days of rest by providing your employees with at least one day of rest for each work week.
For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
Attending Compulsory Meetings or Scheduled Training
If the meeting or training occurs on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off, the employee must be paid at least minimum wage and overtime if applicable - for more information on how to calculate minimum wage visit the Employment Standards website. If the meeting or training is less than 3 hours in length, the 3-hour minimum rule applies.
If the meeting or training isn’t compulsory but is directly related to the employee’s work, and the employee attends, they must be paid the wages agreed to, and overtime if applicable.
Working Split Shifts
If an employee is required to work a split shift and there’s more than a 1-hour break between the 2 segments of the shift, the employee must be paid the minimum compensation required for each segment of their shift.
Working for Short Periods
If an employee is required to work for short periods fewer than 3 consecutive hours, the employer must pay wages that are at least equal to 3 hours at minimum wage - for more information on how to calculate minimum wage visit the Employment Standards website. This 3-hour minimum does not apply if the employee isn’t available to work the full 3 hours or if the employer has a variance.
If an employee is required to work for short periods fewer than 2 consecutive hours, the employer must pay wages that are at least equal to 2 hours at minimum wage - for more information on how to calculate minimum wage visit the Employment Standards website. This 2-hour minimum does not apply if the employee isn’t available to work the full 2 hours or if the employer has a variance.
Being on Call or Standby at Home
If an employee isn’t required to perform work at home while on call or on standby, no payment is required. Being ‘on call’ or ‘on standby’ is not considered work.
If an employee is required to work at home while on call or on standby, the employee must be paid for hours worked at their regular rate of pay, plus applicable overtime, for the actual time worked.
If an employee is required to leave home and report to work while on call or on standby, the employee must be paid for hours worked at their regular rate of pay, plus applicable overtime, for the actual time worked.
Once the employee reports to work, the minimum compensation for short periods of work is applicable. For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
For more information, visit the Employment Standards website.
Next steps
- Print these results for your records
- See the employment standards rules and regulations to learn more.
- Restart this payment of earnings tool to explore different scenarios.