My friend has just started a new job which requires her to work every other saturday without a day off during the week to compensate. Her hours are 8.30am – 6pm and 9am-4pm on the saturday. Is it legal for her to have to work these hours as a minimum or should it be by choice to work over 37.5?

Did she know about the hours before she accepted the job?
AFAIK there’s no restriction on working hours below an average of 48 hours over a period of 10 (12?) weeks.

Google for “working time directive and have a look on the TUC site.

Basically its a 48 hr week max averaged over a period of time. Must have breaks during the day – which vary but usually 1/2 hr unpaid lunch break plus possibly others as IIRC you cannot go more than 4 hrs without a break. In an unpaid break you must be free to leave the premises. Must have one day a week off and must have 11 hrs between shifts. You can opt out of some of these

does she want the job? if so she would have probably signed a waiver.

plenty of jobless out there that would jump at the chance of working every other saturday 😉

Thanks for the info everyone. She does want the job but isn’t too sure about working every other Saturday

If you are over 18 the shift you are working has to be over 6 hours before you are elligible for a break. I found this on the HSE website as I thought that it was 4 hours (for under 18’s)and had to stand corrected when I checked.
Working hours directive is 48 hours but in some cases (mine as I work on a holiday park) they may ask you to sign out of it.

MTFU

that should have been followed by an inane smile icon.

Working every other Saturday Mark. How do you fancy that 😉