How many hours should an apprentice work

Generally, apprentices work an average of 30 hours per week, but this can depend on the employer and programme. However, as regulations for an apprentice's working hours in the UK vary, it is essential that you understand these requirements before you decide to hire an apprentice for your business.

We’ll provide an overview of apprentice working hours in our guide.

Working 30 hours a week on average is required to be considered a full-time apprentice. The length of the apprenticeship must be at least 12 months.

How many hours can an apprentice under 18 years old work?

An apprentice under the age of 18 can expect to work between 30 to 40 hours a week, depending on their employer and programme . This also includes time for off-the-job training.

Can an apprentice work overtime?

Given the limit on an apprentice's hours, you may be wondering whether an apprentice is able to work overtime during peak periods for your business.

An apprentice can work overtime as long as there are at least 12 hours between each working day, and 48 resting hours each working week. 

Overtime is still restricted to a total of 40 hours of work each week for apprentices under 18, or an average of 48 hours for apprentices over 18.

For example, an apprentice over the age of 18 could work 60 hours during one work week, as long as they had at least 24 hours to rest and this time was then balanced out for the rest of the year (working less hours in the future to offset this working week).

Can apprentices work more than 8 hours a day?

An apprentice under the age of 18 cannot work more than 8 hours a day, or 40 hours a week. An apprentice over the age 18 is able to work over 8 hours as long as there is 12 hours between each working day and 48 resting hours each working week. 

Are apprentices entitled to breaks?

Apprentices over the age of 18 are entitled to a 20 minute break if they work over 6 hours at one time, whereas an apprentice under 18 is entitled to a 30 minute break if they’ve worked  4 and a half hours. 

Can an apprentice work weekends?

Depending on the sector of your business, weekend work could be within your opening hours, say, as part of a hospitality apprenticeship, for example, but this can vary. Here at Lifetime, we can discuss whether this is suitable for your business. Any weekend work must also fall within the maximum hours limit that your apprentice is allowed to work, as well as allowing the required hours for rest between shifts. 

Can an apprentice work more than 40 hours a week?

Apprentices over the age of 18 are able to work up to 48 hours per week on average (over 17 weeks) with at least 24 hours rest in a working week. This is generally when all other options have been exhausted and the apprentice is required to work more than their usual 40 hour week. 

Do apprentices get holiday? 

An apprentice is entitled to 20 days paid holiday a year plus bank holidays. This is the same as the legal requirement for all full time workers, not taking into account the 8 bank holidays throughout the year.

Off-the-job training is an essential part of any apprenticeship and it’s important that employers ensure  their apprentices use their allotted study time to complete their end point assessment. With recent changes in how apprentices' hours are divided between work and study, it can seem confusing for employers.

Full-time apprentices must work at least 30 hours per week to be eligible for government funding. During this time, apprentices must spend an average of at least 6 hours per week on off-the-job training. 

This is a change to the previous 20% off-the-job training rule, favouring more consistency in time to study during apprenticeships regardless of the hours worked by an apprentice.

Are you considering hiring an apprentice? Whether you are looking to train an existing employee, or to hire an apprentice externally, Lifetime Training can help your business gain a competitive advantage with our apprenticeship services.

Check out our employers guide to apprenticeships.