Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1977

Intervals for rest.

12.—(1) In this section “stated number of hours” in relation to an employee means—

(a) five hours if the employee is a young person

(b) four hours if the employee is a child.

(2) An employer shall not permit an employee employed by him to do for him any work for any period exceeding the stated number of hours in any day unless the employee ceases work after a period not exceeding the stated number of hours from the time at which he commenced work and does not again commence work until after the expiration of a period of at least half an hour.

(3) An employee shall not be entitled to be paid in respect of the period of at least half an hour specified in subsection (2) of this section.

(4) An employer shall not permit an employee employed by him to do any work for more than one and one-half hours after the expiration of normal working hours unless immediately before commencing to do such work after the expiration of normal working hours the employee has ceased work for a period of at least half an hour.

(5) Subject to subsection (6) of this section, an employee shall not be entitled to be paid in respect of the period of at least half an hour specified in subsection (4) of this section.

(6) The period of half an hour specified in subsection (4) of this section may be varied by an agreement provided that the agreement provides that the employee cease work for not less than fifteen minutes and that the employee be paid for the period specified in the agreement.

(7) An employer who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence.

(8) Subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall not apply to an employee who is employed to do industrial work (within the meaning of section 3 of the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936 (as amended by section 2 of the Conditions of Employment Act, 1944 )) on shift work.