PA working hours, breaks and sickness: what to record

Save the agreed rota or working pattern, then record actual start and finish times, unpaid breaks and changes. This allows the employer to explain overtime, missed shifts, cover and payroll differences without rewriting the plan.

Adult workers are normally entitled to a 20-minute uninterrupted break when working more than six hours, 11 consecutive hours' rest in each 24-hour period and either 24 hours' uninterrupted weekly rest or 48 hours over a fortnight. Average weekly working time is normally capped at 48 hours unless the worker signs a voluntary opt-out.

Care arrangements can raise questions about on-call time, continuity of service and compensatory rest. Do not assume that a support need automatically removes working-time protection. Obtain advice where the normal rest pattern cannot be provided.

For a genuine sleep-in arrangement, record the sleep-in period and separately record every period when the PA was awake and working. The Supreme Court has held that a worker who is expected to sleep is generally entitled to National Minimum Wage for the time actually awake for work, rather than automatically for every hour of the sleep-in.

This area remains fact-sensitive. Ask payroll or an employment adviser to review the arrangement and rate. A flat allowance does not remove the need to identify active work accurately.

• —The PA contacts the agreed person by the agreed time and states that they cannot work.
• —Record the first day of incapacity, expected duration and affected shifts.
• —Keep operational cover information separate from confidential health detail.
• —For seven calendar days or fewer, use the agreed self-certification process; do not demand a fit note.
• —For more than seven calendar days, request a fit note or other accepted medical evidence.
• —Send the dates and required evidence to payroll for Statutory Sick Pay assessment.
• —Record return-to-work discussion and any agreed adjustments without adding unnecessary diagnosis detail.

In Great Britain, Statutory Sick Pay became payable from the first qualifying day and the lower earnings threshold was removed from 6 April 2026. The rate and entitlement still require a payroll calculation, and not every absence automatically qualifies.

Give payroll the complete absence dates, normal working pattern and relevant evidence. Do not calculate SSP inside a timesheet or promise an amount before payroll confirms it. Northern Ireland employers should use current nidirect guidance because employment-law changes can follow a separate timetable.

Sickness and injury records are health data. Limit access, record only what is needed for absence management and payroll, and do not place diagnosis details in a timesheet shared with council reviewers. Set a retention period based on purpose and legal requirements, then delete securely.