This article explains how to configure unpaid break rules in a pay agreement so that the system correctly splits timesheets into paid working time and unpaid break time under different shift and holiday conditions.
How to Configure Unpaid Break Rules
Create or open the pay agreement where you want to define unpaid breaks.
Make sure the agreement has a primary interpretation header, because unpaid break rules are configured against each primary interpretation header in the agreement.
For each primary interpretation header, decide whether you need separate unpaid break rules for:
Weekdays and weekends.
Specific days of the week.
Specific shift types (for example, Day Shift vs Night Shift).
Days where specific holiday types apply.
For each scenario you identify, create a new unpaid break rule and specify:
A name that uniquely identifies the rule.
Either a fixed break time of day (for example, 12:30) or a break after X hours/minutes of continuous work.
The break length (for example, 30 minutes).
The variance (in minutes).
The applicable shift day type(s) (for example, Monday, Saturday).
The applicable shift type(s) (for example, Day Shift).
The applicable holiday type(s) if the rule is for specific holidays rather than weekdays.
Save the pay agreement so the unpaid break rules can be used during timesheet interpretation.
📌 Note: The primary interpretation process uses unpaid break rules to split timesheet time into blocks of paid working time and unpaid break time based on the conditions defined on the agreement.
How Variance Works
The variance defines when a break keyed on a timesheet is treated as “the same” as the unpaid break defined in the agreement.
If a break keyed on the timesheet is within the variance (before or after) of the start and end time of the unpaid break rule, it is considered a clash.
When a clash occurs, the system applies the break from the timesheet and ignores the unpaid break defined in the agreement for that time window.
If a break keyed on the timesheet is outside the variance, it is not treated as a clash. In that case, the system applies both the unpaid break from the agreement and the break keyed on the timesheet.
📌 Note: The variance value applies on either side of both the break start and end times defined by the agreement.
Example: Variance and Timesheet Breaks
Scenario
Day shift: 09:00–17:00.
Pay agreement unpaid break rule:
30-minute break after 3.5 hours of work.
Expected break time: 12:30–13:00.
Variance: 60 minutes.
Case 1 – Timesheet break within the variance
Timesheet break: 12:00–12:30.
This break lies within 60 minutes of the agreement’s break window (12:30–13:00).
Result: The system ignores the agreement break and applies the timesheet break only.
Case 2 – Additional break outside the variance
Timesheet breaks: 12:30–13:00 and 15:00–15:30.
The first break matches the agreement rule.
The second break (15:00–15:30) is outside the 60-minute variance from the agreement break.
Result: Both the agreement break and the second timesheet break are applied.
How the Break Cycle Continues
When an unpaid break rule defines recurring breaks (for example, “a 30-minute break every three hours”), the break cycle continues from the end of the previous break, even if that break clashed with a timesheet break and was not applied.
The second break in the sequence is scheduled a fixed time after the end of the first break (for example, three hours after the first break ends).
This behaviour applies even if the first agreement-defined break was treated as a clash and replaced by the timesheet break.
Shift Day Types, Shift Types, and Holiday Types
When you configure unpaid break rules, you must define when they apply.
Shift day types
Select one or more shift day types to specify the days of the week when the rule applies.
For example, if you select a shift day type of Monday, the unpaid break rule applies to shifts that start on a Monday.
Shift types
Select one or more shift types to specify which types of shifts the rule applies to.
For example, if Day Shift is the only shift type selected, the unpaid break rule does not apply to shifts of any other type.
Holiday types
Select one or more holiday types if the unpaid break rule should apply to dates that correspond to specific holidays rather than specific days of the week.
Priority Rules
The following rules apply to unpaid break rules:
You cannot define multiple unpaid break rules for the same shift day type or the same holiday type.
If an unpaid break rule exists for a given holiday type and another unpaid break rule exists for the shift type or shift day type on which the holiday occurs, the holiday type rule overrides the shift type or shift day type rule.
Configure Break After X Hours Rules
Some unpaid break rules are defined as a break after a certain amount of continuous work instead of at a fixed time of day. These are referred to as break after X hours rules and have additional configuration options.
Create or open an unpaid break rule that should apply after X hours or minutes of continuous work instead of at a fixed time of day.
In the rule, specify:
The number of hours/minutes of continuous work after which the first break occurs.
The break length (for example, 30 minutes).
Decide whether breaks should repeat and, if so, set the pattern (for example, “every 2 hours” or “every 3.5 hours”).
Configure whether the rule is occurrence limited (maximum number of break occurrences per shift).
Choose whether the calculation of the next break includes or excludes the duration of previous unpaid breaks.
Set the Insufficient Shift Duration Condition to control what happens if a shift ends part way through a break (see below).
Limiting the Number of Break Occurrences
You can configure a break after X hours rule to limit the number of breaks that can occur during a shift.
Example: Occurrence Limit
Shift: 07:00–19:00.
Rule: Break every 2 hours.
Break length: 30 minutes.
No occurrence limit
07:00–09:00 – Paid working time.
09:00–09:30 – 1st unpaid break.
09:30–11:30 – Paid working time.
11:30–12:00 – 2nd unpaid break.
12:00–14:30 – Paid working time.
14:30–15:00 – 3rd unpaid break.
15:00–17:30 – Paid working time.
17:30–18:00 – 4th unpaid break.
18:00–19:00 – Paid working time.
Limited to 3 occurrences
07:00–09:00 – Paid working time.
09:00–09:30 – 1st unpaid break.
09:30–11:30 – Paid working time.
11:30–12:00 – 2nd unpaid break.
12:00–14:30 – Paid working time.
14:30–15:00 – 3rd unpaid break.
15:00–19:00 – Paid working time (no further unpaid breaks, because the limit of 3 has been reached).
Including or Excluding Break Durations in the Calculation
A break after X hours rule can be configured so that the system either:
Excludes the unpaid break duration when calculating when the next break is due.
Includes the unpaid break duration in the calculation.
This changes from which point the system counts the hours for the next break.
Example: Excluding break durations
Using the same 07:00–19:00 shift and “break every 2 hours” rule:
The system calculates from the point at which paid work resumes after each unpaid break.
Each new break starts exactly two hours after the end of the previous unpaid break.
This behaviour matches the first example sequence under “No occurrence limit” above.
Example: Including break durations
If the rule is configured to include unpaid break durations, the system calculates from the start of the previous unpaid break when determining when the next break starts.
Using the same 07:00–19:00 shift and “break every 2 hours” rule, the results would be:
No occurrence limit
07:00–09:00 – Paid working time.
09:00–09:30 – 1st unpaid break.
09:30–11:00 – Paid working time.
11:00–11:30 – 2nd unpaid break.
11:30–13:00 – Paid working time.
13:00–13:30 – 3rd unpaid break.
13:30–17:00 – Paid working time.
17:00–19:00 – 4th unpaid break.
Limited to 3 occurrences
07:00–09:00 – Paid working time.
09:00–09:30 – 1st unpaid break.
09:30–11:00 – Paid working time.
11:00–11:30 – 2nd unpaid break.
11:30–13:00 – Paid working time.
13:00–13:30 – 3rd unpaid break.
13:30–19:00 – Paid working time (no further unpaid breaks, because the limit of 3 has been reached).
Insufficient Shift Duration Conditions
Break after X hours rules include an Insufficient Shift Duration Condition that controls what happens if a shift is too short to apply a full break.
Condition Options
Insufficient Shift Duration Condition | Description |
Apply Partial Break | If the shift ends part way through a break, only the portion between the break start time and the shift end time is applied, and only that duration is subtracted from total hours worked. |
Apply Full Break | If the shift ends part way through a break, the entire break duration is applied up until the shift end time, and the full break duration is subtracted from total hours worked. |
Don't Apply Break | If the shift ends part way through a break, the break is not applied and the break duration is not subtracted from total hours worked. This is the default for all new and existing agreements. |
Example: One break after 5 hours
In each case below, the unpaid break rule is configured to apply one 30-minute break after 5 hours.
Shift Start | Shift End | Insufficient Shift Duration 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: Maximum of two breaks during a shift
In each case below, the unpaid break rule is configured to:
Apply up to two 30-minute breaks during the shift.
Apply the first break after 3.5 hours.
Apply the second break 3.5 hours after the end of the first break.
Exclude break durations when calculating the timing of the second break.
Shift Start | Shift End | Insufficient Shift Duration Condition | Unpaid Breaks Applied At | Total Paid Hours |
09:00 | 17:30 | Any | 12:30–13:00 (30 min) and 16:30–17:00 (30 min) | 7.50 |
09:00 | 16:30 | Any | 12:30–13:00 (30 min) | 7.00 |
09:00 | 16:45 | Apply Partial Break | 12:30–13:00 (30 min) and 16:30–16:45 (15 min) | 7.00 |
09:00 | 14:45 | Apply Full Break | 12:30–13:00 (30 min) and 16:15–16:45 (30 min) | 6.75 |
09:00 | 14:45 | Don't Apply Break | 12:30–13:00 (30 min) | 7.25 |
Interaction Between Unpaid Break Rules and Timesheet Breaks
Unpaid breaks can be applied based on:
The unpaid break rule on the pay agreement.
A break keyed on the timesheet.
Or both, depending on the variance and shift duration conditions.
The system behaves as follows:
If no break is keyed on the timesheet, the unpaid break is applied based on the unpaid break rule alone.
If a break is keyed on the timesheet:
The interpreter checks whether the timesheet break occurred within the variance defined by the unpaid break rule.
If it occurred within the variance, the break is derived from the timesheet and the agreement break for that period is ignored.
If it occurred outside the variance, both the unpaid break rule and the timesheet break are applied.
📌 Note: The Insufficient Shift Duration Condition you select must be applied to the actual break that will be used in each case, whether that break comes from the unpaid break rule or from the timesheet.
Example: Insufficient shift duration with timesheet breaks
In this scenario:
The unpaid break rule is configured to apply one 30-minute break after 4 hours.
The variance is set to 15 minutes.
Shift Start | Shift End | Insufficient Shift Duration 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 unpaid break 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 unpaid break rule) | 8.00 |
09:00 | 17:30 | Apply Full Break | 17:15–17:45 | 13:00–13:30 (30 min, from unpaid break rule) and 17:15–17:45 (30 min, from timesheet) | 7.50 |