When the clocks go forward tomorrow (March 31) most of us will be tucked up in bed asleep.
At 1am on Sunday the time will jump forward an hour, meaning the majority of people will lose an hour’s kip.
But for people working night shifts the clock change raises a number of questions.
How will it affect pay? Can staff go home at their usual home time?
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We spoke to an HR expert, who explained what people’s rights are.
Alastair Brown, chief technological officer at HR software firm BrightHR, said: “Whether the employer will need to pay their employees for a full, eight-hour shift in this situation will depend on upon the contract of employment.
“Generally, a contract will outline that a worker is entitled to hourly pay for every hour that they work.
“That being said, workers who are in receipt of a regular salary will usually receive the normal amount regardless of whether they work one hour less.
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“This is because a salaried employee is more likely than an hourly paid employee to be required to work extra hours without additional pay, and to be entitled to pay even if they work fewer hours.”
Alastair says employers can choose how they treat this hour lost, subject to any contractual entitlements, but should act “consistently and fairly”.
A company may decide that all staff must work an extra hour to make up the hour ‘lost’, but shouldn’t pick and choose who needs to and who doesn’t; one rule should apply to everyone.
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He added: “If an employee is scheduled to work on Sunday morning, they should be reminded that the clocks are going forward an hour and encouraged to prepare for this.
“Employee lateness can be costly for a company and employers can consider disciplining any late worker if they believe it is necessary.”
