Is it legal within the Drivers Hours Laws to work 6 on 2 off on a regular rolling rota?
Stan
Stanley Knife:
Is it legal within the Drivers Hours Laws to work 6 on 2 off on a regular rolling rota?Stan
If you are getting 48 hours off you can, as long as you have 45 you are not reducing anything, just be concious of the 90 hours per fortnight driving, 56 weekly hours maximum.
No, it would mean only 2 days off in a 2 week period. It would also depending on the drive break the 90hr fortnight.
The 90hrs/fortnight driving limit would not be a problem. Doubt I’d hit 60hrs tbh.
But I do need to know if the 6 on 2 off is legal.
(Any link to the relevant law would be a bonus).
Stan
dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/R … Europe.pdf
Let us know what you decide.
In any two consecutive ‘fixed’ weeks a driver must take at least:
two regular weekly rests; or
one regular weekly rest and one reduced weekly rest.
Stanley Knife:
Is it legal within the Drivers Hours Laws to work 6 on 2 off on a regular rolling rota?Stan
I’ve just put it into Excel and if you started the 6 shifts on a Monday (week 1) and already had a full weekly rest period for that week you would fall foul of the law on week 11 when you would not be able to have a weekly rest period that would count for that week (week 11).
So I would have to say that on a regular basis it can’t be done unless you can have extra time off in week 10 or 11 or before.
edit:
I worked this out for a day shift but I doubt nights would make much difference.
Just to clarify this I should say that as Wheel Nut has said there’s nothing illegal about working 6 on 2 off, the problem is that eventually the 2 days rest won’t fall in the week you need them to, in the situation I’ve described in the post above the weekly rest period that you need for week 11 actually falls on Tuesday and Wednesday of week 12.
Hope that makes sense 
Stanley Knife:
Is it legal within the Drivers Hours Laws to work 6 on 2 off on a regular rolling rota?Stan
If you have to do every 7 Day one weekend Break with 45 Hour you need to put them into your 6th and 7th Day.
If you can shorten your Shifts to get that going “YES”
But you cant put half of your Weekend Break into the next Week.
Dont think thats working long
it’s perfectly legal, but if you’re unsure, just put a magnet on to keep it legal. 
Immigrant:
Stanley Knife:
Is it legal within the Drivers Hours Laws to work 6 on 2 off on a regular rolling rota?Stan
If you have to do every 7 Day one weekend Break with 45 Hour you need to put them into your 6th and 7th Day.
If you can shorten your Shifts to get that going “YES”
But you cant put half of your Weekend Break into the next Week.
Dont think thats working long
Sorry but that’s not correct, perhaps you’d like to post a link to where in the regulations it says that “you cant put half of your Weekend Break into the next Week”, in fact the regulations make it clear that a weekly rest period that spans two different weeks can be counted for either but not both weeks 
Thanks for the responses folks.
From page 24 of the link that Eckyboy provided:-
WEEKLY REST
A regular weekly rest of at least 45 hours, or a reduced weekly rest of at least 24 hours, must be started no later than the end of six consecutive 24-hour periods from the end of the last weekly rest. In any two consecutive weeks a driver must have at least two weekly rests — one of which must be at least 45 hours long. A weekly rest that falls across two weeks may be counted in either week but not in both. Any reductions must be compensated in one block by an equivalent rest added to another rest period of at least 9 hours before the end of the third week following the week in question.
I was sure in myself that a 45hr rest period every week reset the clock but it was the part in bold that I couldn’t remember.
CMIIW but a rolling 6 on 2 off is legal whilst the 45hr rest period is in the same week but when the rest period is Sunday/Monday that would mean only 24hrs rest in each week (or in my case 32hrs in the first week and 28hrs in the second) and would need either the Saturday or the Tuesday tagging onto the Sunday/Monday to make one of them a 45hr.
Tachograph:- I assume you can get to 11 weeks by utilising the compensation.
Stan
limeyphil:
it’s perfectly legal, but if you’re unsure, just put a magnet on to keep it legal.
Thanks Phil, I’ve noted your advice. But if it’s perfectly legal why would you need a magnet to keep it legal?
Stan
Stanley Knife:
Thanks for the responses folks.From page 24 of the link that Eckyboy provided:-
WEEKLY REST
A weekly rest that falls across two weeks may be counted in either week but not in both.
I was sure in myself that a 45hr rest period every week reset the clock but it was the part in bold that I couldn’t remember.
CMIIW but a rolling 6 on 2 off is legal whilst the 45hr rest period is in the same week but when the rest period is Sunday/Monday that would mean only 24hrs rest in each week (or in my case 32hrs in the first week and 28hrs in the second) and would need either the Saturday or the Tuesday tagging onto the Sunday/Monday to make one of them a 45hr.
Tachograph:- I assume you can get to 11 weeks by utilising the compensation.
Stan
It’s nothing to do with compensation 
You’re misunderstanding the part of the regulations you’ve posted, If your weekly rest period of 45 hours crosses two weeks (Sunday / Monday) it can count for either week but not both, the whole 45 hours rest period counts for the one week not just 24 hours of it or the part that falls into a particular week.
Many people work until Saturday then have Sunday and Monday off as their weekly rest period, if what you’re thinking was correct they would all be having reduced weekly rest periods every week which as you know is illegal.
Where a weekly rest period falls on Sunday and Monday the whole of that weekly rest period can count for either but no both of the weeks, the weekly rest period is not split part for each week.
See if this makes sense to you, The yellow highlighting is just to separate the weeks.
This assumes that you start week 1 having had a full 45 hour weekly rest that can count for week 1.
The number in brackets in the centre column is the week that the weekly rest period will count for.
You haven’t said what hours you would be working so I’ve assumed days and finishing times immediately before a weekly rest period starts will always be before midnight.
Thanks for your help folks. Problem sorted, will be able to cover the work for the next few weeks.
Stan