British Summer Time begins on Sunday March 31st at 1am, when the clocks go forward one hour.
Daylight Saving Time was adopted in 1916 during the First World War, as a way of reducing energy consumption and improving productivity.
In 2024, we’re still debating the merits of what can seem an annoying and pointless ritual but, despite minimal evidence that the twice-yearly changes have significant energy saving or economic benefits, there’s no real momentum in the UK to change.
In contrast, the European parliament voted to end mandatory clock changes in 2019, however the new rules are still on ice because EU countries have not yet been able to agree a consensus.
Losing an Hour’s Work
While most workers won’t be affected, there may be implications for pay and working hours for those on night shift.
Unlike the autumn adjustment at the end of October, when clocks go back and we gain an hour, the spring clock change poses less risk of minimum wage violations or working time regulation concerns. It does, however, reduce the actual working duration by one hour.
Employees working a typical eight-hour night shift will find themselves working only seven hours if they clock on and off at their normal times.
Rules For Night Workers
The Office for National Statistics estimates that around 27% of the workforce, equivalent to 8.7M people, are night time workers, with the majority working in health, social care, hospitality and leisure, service industries and transport.
The ‘night period’ is 11pm to 6am and a night worker is someone who usually works at least 3 hours during this time.
An organisation can reach an agreement that this covers a different night time period, providing the shift is at least 7 hours long and includes 5 hours between 2am and 5am.
There are limits on night working and working unsociable hours: this means workers can’t, on average, work more than 8 hours in a 24-hour period. Average hours are calculated over a rolling 17-week time frame.
Employers must protect night workers because of the possible effect on health, safety and wellbeing. Special rules apply to maximum weekly working hours, rest periods, conditions and health assessments.
Managing Night Workers’ Hours And Pay
How employers deal with this when the clocks go forward at the end of the month depends on the employment contract.
Is the worker on a salaried income or paid for the work they do at an hourly rate?
Salaried employees, who receive a regular amount regardless of exact hours worked, will likely see no difference in their pay due to the expectation that they sometimes work additional hours without extra remuneration or work fewer hours without a reduction in pay.
Hourly workers are generally paid for the actual hours worked, which suggests that they would, for example, receive pay for seven hours instead of the usual eight. This is where the distinction between hourly and salaried employees becomes significant.
Employers have discretion over how they manage the missing hour for those they pay by the hour, provided their decisions comply with existing employment agreements and are applied consistently.
If it’s not a contractual obligation, the decision to pay staff for the lost hour is up to the employer.
Firms might want to compensate for the hour lost by requiring employees to work an additional hour at another time, effectively balancing out the shorter shift, or give them time off in lieu. Whatever rule is settled on, it should apply to all relevant staff equally.
Employee Lateness And Health
Being late for work after the clocks change is not uncommon. Some may forget so it’s important to remind staff about the changes in advance, to head off any confusion and ensure they get to work on time.
Losing an hour’s sleep can also make workers feel tired and disrupt mood because their body clock is out of synch.
The HSE Network cautions that more care needs to be taken to avoid workplace errors and accidents
when the clocks change, and that some people can suffer a mild form of jetlag.
They point to medical evidence from the
BMJ for an increase in heart attacks when the clocks go forward in spring. Research has also indicated that men tend to be more susceptible to the clocks going back whilst women are more affected by them going forward.
Working on Bank HolidaysClocks always go forward in the UK on the last Sunday in March. In 2024 this happens to fall on Easter Sunday, where shops over 280 square metres must close. For some workers this will mean they’ll enjoy the day off instead of working.
For others it will mean a busier work period. There’s no automatic right for employees to have public holidays such as Good Friday and Easter Monday off as paid leave, or be paid extra for working public holidays unless it’s in their contracts.
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