You have the right to take breaks during working hours. The Working Hours Act and collective agreements determine the minimum duration of breaks. The employer must comply with the provisions on breaks and rest periods laid down in the Working Hours Act and the collective agreement.
The work and rest periods of young employees differ from those of adults. A young employee is aged under 18 years. As the applicable work and rest periods depend on the young employee’s age, the regulations applied to employees aged 13–14 years differ partly from those applied to employees aged 15–17 years.
Updated 04.02.2025
A meal break is a break during your workday allowing you to eat and rest. If your shift lasts at least 6 hours (at least 4 hours and 30 minutes for employees under 18 years), you are entitled to a meal break of at least half an hour (30 minutes).
Usually, shifts lasting less than 6 hours do not include a meal break. The meal break does not usually count as working hours, which means that no pay is paid for its duration.
A coffee break usually lasts 10–15 minutes. You will usually also be entitled to a coffee break if your shift lasts less than 6 hours. Coffee breaks are part of your working hours, which means that you will be paid for the time.
The daily rest period means that you have the right to rest between shifts, usually for at least 11 hours. If you are 15–18 years old, you need to have an uninterrupted rest period of at least 12 hours a day. If you are under 15 years old, your uninterrupted rest period must be at least 14 hours a day.
‘Weekly free time’ means that you are entitled to rest longer between work shifts once a week. Usually, the weekly free time is at least 35 hours. Sometimes it may be shorter, but it must always be at least 24 hours. For employees under 18 years, the uninterrupted rest period is 38 hours.
The employer is not allowed to disturb you during your weekly free time, which means that you cannot be asked to work during it. If possible, the day off must be a Sunday.
