Banded Hours
A legal right allowing eligible employees to request a band of weekly working hours that better reflects the hours they actually worked over a reference period.
Banded hours matter when the hours written in a contract do not match the hours an employee actually works. This is common in restaurants, pubs, cafes and hotels where part-time staff regularly pick up extra shifts. If ignored, an employee may be entitled to request a more accurate band of weekly hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
An employer may refuse only on specific grounds, such as where the facts do not support the request, the hours were genuinely temporary, or significant business changes apply. A disputed refusal can become a WRC issue.
Yes, where the legal criteria are met. This can be relevant for part-time restaurant, bar, cafe and hotel staff who consistently work more hours than their written contract states.
Banded hours are ranges of weekly working hours set out in Irish employment law. If an employee's contract does not reflect the hours they habitually work, they may be able to request placement in a band that better reflects their actual working pattern.