What happens to rest periods of short durations regarding hours worked?

Rest periods of short duration typically refer to breaks during the workday that allow employees to recuperate briefly, such as coffee breaks or short pauses. In most labor laws and workplace policies, these short rest periods are generally not considered as working time.

As a result, they do not contribute to the total hours worked by an employee. This means that when calculating regular hours or determining eligibility for overtime, these rest periods are excluded. The rationale behind this policy is that these breaks are intended for the employee's benefit, allowing them to recharge, and therefore do not constitute productive work hours.

In various jurisdictions, specific regulations outline the norms for rest periods, but the common understanding is that unless designated as paid work time, these short breaks will typically not affect wage calculations and are not counted towards total hours worked.