Hours limits,
enforced automatically.
Configurable fatigue rules per position — with out-of-the-box templates for EU/GB Drivers' Hours and the Working Time Regulations. Every shift is checked before a worker is offered it. BLOCK and WARN breach badges surface problems instantly. Override when you need to, with a full audit trail.
Configurable rule sets, per position
Each position in your agency carries its own fatigue rule. HGV drivers get drivers' hours rules. Care workers get WTR. You control what applies where.
Window limit
Cap total hours within a rolling window — daily, weekly, or fortnightly. Catches over-hours placements before they happen.
Minimum rest
Require a minimum gap between shifts. Configurable per rule — 11-hour daily rest or longer weekly rest, depending on your sector.
Max consecutive days
Limit how many days in a row a worker can be placed. Enforce weekly rest days automatically — no more accidental 7-day stretches.
Max shift duration
Cap the length of any single shift. Prevent placements that exceed sector-specific or internal shift length limits.
Start fast with built-in templates
Subshift ships with two read-only template rule sets covering the most common regulated sectors in the UK:
- EU/GB Drivers' Hours — daily and weekly driving limits, required rest periods, consecutive day limits, and maximum shift duration under EU Regulation 561/2006 and GB domestic rules.
- Standard WTR — the 48-hour weekly limit, 11-hour daily rest, consecutive working day limits, and maximum shift duration under the Working Time Regulations 1998.
Assign a template directly to a position, or clone it to create an editable copy you can tailor to your clients' specific requirements.
Fatigue Rules
BLOCK and WARN — two levels of enforcement
Hard legal limits become BLOCKs. Advisory guidelines become WARNs. Both are visible on every shift group page — nothing slips through unseen.
No limits breached. Worker is within all thresholds defined by the position's fatigue rule.
One or more WARN-severity limits breached. Placement proceeds — you are informed, not blocked.
One or more BLOCK-severity limits breached. Worker cannot be placed without a manager override.
Override when you need to. Audit trail always.
Exceptional circumstances happen. When a BLOCK breach cannot be avoided, a manager can override it for that specific shift slot. The override requires a reason — exceptional circumstances, worker consent, error in records, or regulatory exemption — and an optional free-text note.
Every override is written to the audit log immediately: who applied it, when, the reason chosen, the note, and exactly which limits were overridden. The record is permanent and cannot be edited.
Once overridden, the slot badge turns green with an "Override active" indicator. The breach details and override reason remain accessible by clicking the badge — so anyone reviewing the shift can see the full picture.
Worker opt-out for advisory limits
Some fatigue limits are legal hard stops — no exceptions. Others are internal guidelines where a worker's own informed choice should prevail. For WARN-severity limits, agencies can mark individual rules as opt-out eligible.
When a rule is marked canOptOut, workers see it in the Subshift worker app and can choose to opt out of that specific limit. Their opt-out state and the full history of changes are tracked. Agencies can see current opt-out status per worker in the agency portal.
BLOCK-severity limits cannot be opted out of — they always require a manager override with an audit trail.
Work & Rest Timeline
Understanding a worker's fatigue situation requires more than a single number — you need to see how their shifts, mandatory rest windows, and unavailability periods relate to each other in time.
The Work & Rest Timeline is a visual, interactive timeline showing exactly that. It is available in two places:
- Agency portal — worker detail "Timeline" tab: Coordinators can view any worker's timeline, switch between day and week view, and hover over shifts and rest blocks to see the underlying detail. Useful when assessing whether a worker can take an additional shift without a breach.
- Worker app — "My Schedule" page: Workers see their own timeline — upcoming shifts, the mandatory rest windows around them, and any periods they have marked as unavailable. Day and week view toggle, with hover cards showing shift and rest details.
A tool, not a legal guarantee
Subshift enforces the hours and rest rules you configure. It is up to you to set them in line with the regulations that apply to your sector — UK drivers' hours, the Working Time Regulations 1998, sector codes of practice, and any client-specific requirements.
We ship templates that reflect the standard GB/EU rules, and we are adding more sector packs. But final responsibility for compliance remains with the agency and the client.
No more over-hours placements.
Book a demo and we will model your sector's fatigue rules in Subshift.