Planning your own working week

A working week has a lot to fit in. Planning it ahead gives each task a time of its own, with the breaks written in alongside.

Start with a list

The NHS suggests planning ahead for busy days, and a to-do list is one way to do it. It also suggests breaking a big task into smaller pieces you can manage, and giving yourself credit when you finish one.

Decide what comes first

The NHS calls this working smarter. You start with the tasks that'll make a real difference, and leave the least important ones until last. It also says to accept that you won't have time for everything.

When the load is too much

HSE names six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if they are not managed. They are demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. A worker may say they cannot cope with what the role asks, or cannot control how they do the work.

HSE adds that stress affects people differently. It asks employers to talk to their workers and learn the signs.

Asking for a different pattern

All employees have the legal right to request flexible working, from their first day in a job. That could mean different start and finish times, or working from home.

The employer must deal with the request in a reasonable manner, and can refuse it for a good business reason. Acas publishes a code of practice on handling these requests. The rules are different in Northern Ireland.

The breaks and hours the law gives you

GOV.UK explains that workers over 18 are usually entitled to three kinds of break. If you work more than 6 hours in a day, you can take one uninterrupted 20-minute break. Whether it's paid depends on your contract.

You're entitled to 11 hours' rest between working days. Each week you're also entitled to 24 hours without any work, or 48 hours every fortnight.

The limit on working time is 48 hours a week on average, usually worked out over 17 weeks. You can choose to opt out of it.

If you use a screen daily for an hour or more at a time, your employer must make sure you get breaks from it or a change of task. Your employer must also provide an eye test if you ask for one.

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