Unpaid break rules help the primary interpretation process split a timesheet into paid working time and unpaid break time based on the conditions in a pay agreement. You can configure one or more unpaid break rules for each primary interpretation header in an agreement, so breaks can vary by weekday/weekend, specific days, shift types, or holiday types.
Understand Unpaid Break Rules
Unpaid break rules define when an unpaid break should happen and how long it should be. A rule can define a break:
At a specific time of day.
After a certain number of hours/minutes of continuous work.
Each unpaid break rule is defined by:
A name that uniquely identifies the rule.
The break time or the hours/minutes after which the break occurs.
The break length.
The variance.
Applicable shift day type(s) or holiday type(s).
Applicable shift type(s).
How variance works
Variance is the threshold used to decide whether a break keyed on a timesheet “clashes” with the break defined by the agreement.
If a timesheet break occurs within the variance, it is considered a clash. In this case, the system applies the timesheet break instead of the agreement-defined break.
If a timesheet break occurs outside the variance, it is not considered a clash. In this case, the system applies both the agreement break and the timesheet break.
📌 Note: The variance applies on both sides of the agreement break’s start and end time.
Variance example
An agreement defines a day shift from 09:00 to 17:00 with a 30-minute break after 3.5 hours, which places the agreement break at 12:30 to 13:00. The variance is 60 minutes.
If the timesheet records a break from 12:00 to 12:30, the agreement break is ignored because the timesheet break falls within 60 minutes of the agreement break.
If the timesheet records 12:30 to 13:00 and also records another break from 15:00 to 15:30, both breaks apply because the second break falls outside the 60-minute variance.
How the break cycle continues
The break cycle continues from the break end point defined within the agreement.
For example, if an agreement defines a 30-minute break every three hours, the second break is applied three hours after the end of the first break, assuming it does not clash. This continues even if the first agreement break clashed and was not applied.
How day types, shift types, and holiday types control when a rule applies
Shift day types
You must select one or more shift day types to define which days of the week the rule applies to.
Example: If you select Monday, the rule applies to shifts that start on a Monday.
Shift types
You must select one or more shift types to define which types of shifts the rule applies to.
Example: If you select only Day Shift, the rule does not apply to other shift types.
Holiday types
You can select one or more holiday types if the rule should apply to specific holiday dates rather than specific days of the week.
Rule precedence and constraints
The following conditions apply:
You cannot define multiple unpaid break rules for the same shift day type or the same holiday type.
If a holiday type rule exists and another unpaid break rule also exists for the shift type or shift day type on which the holiday occurs, the holiday type rule overrides the shift type/day type rule.
Understand Break After X Hours Rules
Unpaid break rules that define a break after a certain number of hours/minutes of continuous work are known as break after X hours rules.
These rules include additional options that affect how breaks are applied across a shift.
Limit the number of break occurrences
A break after X hours rule can be configured to limit the number of breaks that occur during a shift.
Example: A shift runs from 07:00 to 19:00 and the rule applies a break every 2 hours.
Scenario | Outcome (summary) |
No occurrence limit | Breaks continue every 2 hours throughout the shift. |
Limited to 3 occurrences | Only the first 3 breaks are applied, and the remainder of the shift stays as paid working time. |
Include or exclude break duration when calculating the next break
A break after X hours rule can include or exclude unpaid break durations when determining when the next break starts.
Excluding break duration (calculate from paid work resuming)
Where break durations are excluded, each next break starts exactly X hours after the end of the previous break.
Example pattern: The system calculates from when paid work resumes.
Including break duration (calculate from break start)
Where break durations are included, the system calculates from the start of the previous break to determine when the next break starts.
Example pattern: The next break can occur earlier in the paid work window because break time counts toward the X-hour interval.
Understand Insufficient Shift Duration Conditions
Break after X hours rules include an Insufficient Shift Duration Condition. This controls if (and how) an unpaid break is applied when a shift ends before the break can be applied in full.
Available options
Insufficient shift duration condition | Description |
Apply Partial Break | If the shift ends part way through the break, only the portion that fits up to the shift end time is applied and subtracted from total paid hours. |
Apply Full Break | If the shift ends part way through the break, the entire break duration is applied up to the shift end time and subtracted from total paid hours. |
Don’t Apply Break | If the shift ends part way through the break, the break is not applied and is not subtracted from total paid hours. This is the default for all new and existing agreements. |
Example outcomes (single break)
In each example below, the rule applies one 30-minute break after 5 hours.
Shift start | Shift end | Condition | Unpaid break applied at | Total paid hours |
09:00 | 17:30 | Any | 14:00–14:30 (30 min.) | 8.00 |
09:00 | 14:00 | Any | None | 5.00 |
09:00 | 14:15 | Apply Partial Break | 14:00–14:15 (15 min.) | 5.00 |
09:00 | 14:15 | Apply Full Break | 13:45–14:15 (30 min.) | 4.75 |
09:00 | 14:15 | Don’t Apply Break | None | 5.25 |
Example outcomes (up to two breaks)
In each example below:
The rule applies a maximum of two breaks per shift.
Each break is 30 minutes after 3.5 hours.
The second break starts 3.5 hours after the end of the first break (Exclude Break Duration applies).
Shift start | Shift end | Condition | Unpaid breaks applied at | Total paid hours |
09:00 | 17:30 | Any | 12:30–13:00 & 16:30–17:00 | 7.50 |
09:00 | 16:30 | Any | 12:30–13:00 | 7.00 |
09:00 | 16:45 | Apply Partial Break | 12:30–13:00 & 16:30–16:45 | 7.00 |
09:00 | 14:45 | Apply Full Break | 12:30–13:00 & 16:15–16:45 | 6.75 |
09:00 | 14:45 | Don’t Apply Break | 12:30–13:00 | 7.25 |
📌 Note: The selected insufficient shift duration condition must be applied to the break that would be applied in each case, whether that break is derived from the unpaid break rule or derived from a timesheet break.
How insufficient shift duration works with variance and timesheet breaks
Unpaid breaks can be applied from:
The unpaid break rule on the pay agreement.
A break keyed on a timesheet.
Both (depending on variance).
If there is no timesheet break, the system applies the unpaid break based on the agreement rule.
If there is a timesheet break, the system checks whether it occurred within the agreement rule’s variance:
Within variance: Apply the timesheet break instead of the agreement break.
Outside variance: Apply both the agreement break and the timesheet break.
Example outcomes (rule vs timesheet breaks)
In each example below, the rule applies one 30-minute break after 4 hours and variance is 15 minutes.
Shift start | Shift end | Condition | Timesheet break | Unpaid breaks applied at | Total paid hours |
09:00 | 17:30 | Any | 12:45–13:15 | 12:45–13:15 (30 min. from timesheet) | 8.00 |
09:00 | 13:00 | Apply Partial Break | 12:45–13:15 | 12:45–13:15 (15 min. from timesheet) | 3.75 |
09:00 | 17:30 | Apply Partial Break | 17:15–17:45 | 13:00–13:30 (30 min. from rule) and 17:15–17:30 (15 min. from timesheet) | 7.75 |
09:00 | 17:30 | Don’t Apply Break | 17:15–17:45 | 13:00–13:30 (30 min. from rule) | 8.00 |
09:00 | 17:30 | Apply Full Break | 17:15–17:45 | 13:00–13:30 (30 min. from rule) and 17:15–17:45 (30 min. from timesheet) | 7.50 |
💡 Best Practices
Define break rules carefully for each shift day type, shift type, and holiday type to avoid overlaps and unexpected overrides.
Set variance values deliberately so timesheet-entered breaks behave as intended when they are close to agreement-defined breaks.
Validate break-after-X-hours behaviour (occurrence limits, include/exclude break duration, and insufficient shift duration conditions) against common shift patterns before rolling changes out.