Maximum hours policy template
A free, ready-to-edit maximum hours policy template for Australian workplaces. Set clear limits on the working week in line with the National Employment Standards — the 38-hour ordinary week, reasonable additional hours, overtime and fatigue management — so you stay compliant and protect your team. No signup required.
Maximum hours policy
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By downloading, you agree to our template disclaimer
This maximum hours policy template reflects the National Employment Standards and Australian workplace laws at the time of publication and is provided as a general guide to adapt for your business, award or enterprise agreement. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Why your workplace needs a maximum hours policy
Under the National Employment Standards (NES), a full-time employee cannot be required to work more than 38 ordinary hours per week. Employers can ask for reasonable additional hours, but what counts as reasonable depends on the role, the employee’s circumstances, notice given, and any health and safety risk — and employees can refuse a request that is unreasonable.
A documented maximum hours policy turns those rules into a clear, consistent standard. It sets expectations before disputes arise, protects managers asking staff to stay back, and shows you take fatigue and wellbeing seriously. Without one, you risk NES breaches, fatigue-related incidents and arguments about overtime expectations.
The policy applies to all employees — full-time, part-time and casual — and works alongside your rest periods policy and break arrangements. Store it and capture acknowledgements in your HR software so you can show every worker has read and understood it.
What a maximum hours policy should cover
The essentials of managing the working week
Maximum ordinary hours
The 38-hour NES week for full-time staff, and how part-time and casual hours are set.
Reasonable additional hours
When extra hours can be requested and the factors that make them reasonable.
Overtime
When overtime applies and how it is authorised, recorded and paid.
Averaging arrangements
How hours may be averaged over a longer period where an award allows it.
Fatigue management
Preventing excessive hours that create safety and wellbeing risks.
Right to refuse
The employee's right to refuse unreasonable additional hours.
What's included in this template
Comprehensive coverage of working hour requirements
Purpose & scope
Why the policy exists and who it applies to across all employment types.
Policy statement
The organisation's commitment to managing working hours fairly and safely.
Ordinary hours
Standard working hours and how they are set and calculated.
Maximum weekly hours
The 38-hour NES cap for full-time employees and how it is applied.
Reasonable additional hours
The factors that determine whether extra hours are reasonable.
Overtime
When overtime applies, how it is approved and how it is paid.
Averaging arrangements
Provisions for averaging hours over an agreed period under an award.
Fatigue management
Preventing excessive hours to protect health and safety.
Monitoring & compliance
How hours are tracked and limits enforced.
Record keeping & acknowledgement
Documenting hours worked and employee sign-off.
Maximum hours under the NES
What Australian employers need to get right
38 ordinary hours, plus reasonable additional hours
The NES sets the maximum weekly hours for a full-time employee at 38 — roughly 7.6 hours a day over five days, and unpaid meal breaks don’t count. On top of that, an employer can request reasonable additional hours. Spelling out both figures keeps expectations clear and your roster compliant.
Employees can refuse unreasonable hours
An employee can refuse additional hours where the request is unreasonable. Reasonableness weighs up health and safety risk, the employee’s personal circumstances, the operational needs of the business, the notice given, and any extra pay or penalty for the hours. Casuals can generally decline a shift altogether.
What makes additional hours reasonable
Health & safety
Hours must not create a fatigue or safety risk for the employee or others.
Personal circumstances
Family and carer responsibilities and the employee's wellbeing.
Notice given
Whether reasonable notice was given of the request, or of any refusal.
Role & operational needs
The nature of the role and the genuine needs of the business.
Working hour limits and overtime rules vary by award and enterprise agreement, so always check the applicable instrument — use our guide to find which award applies and confirm your obligations.
Excessive hours are a workplace health and safety risk as well as a Fair Work issue, so pair this policy with compliant breaks between shifts. Track actual hours accurately with time and attendance and set roster limits in your rostering software so you can catch breaches before they happen rather than after. The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes detailed guidance on hours of work and when overtime applies.
Who should use this template?
Essential for any Australian employer rostering staff
Especially valuable in industries with long shifts, peak trading and overtime, where fatigue risk is highest.
Compliance resources
Official guidance on working hours, overtime and rosters.
Manage working hours the easy way
RosterElf helps Australian businesses set roster limits, flag excessive hours with roster warnings, track real time worked and store policies with employee acknowledgements — all in one place.
Related guides
Roster compliantly and manage hours with confidence
Related templates
Build a complete roster management framework
Maximum hours policy FAQ
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Under the National Employment Standards, the maximum weekly hours for a full-time employee in Australia are 38 ordinary hours plus reasonable additional hours. The 38-hour week is about 7.6 hours a day over five days, and unpaid meal breaks are not counted as working time.
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A full-time employee’s ordinary hours are capped at 38 per week under the NES, but they can work more if the extra hours are reasonable. A regular 40-hour pattern can be lawful where the additional hours are reasonable and paid correctly, often as overtime under the relevant award or agreement. Always check your applicable award.
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The 38-hour ordinary week spread evenly over five days works out to 7.6 hours per day. Many awards and agreements use 7.6 hours as the standard full-time day, with anything beyond it typically treated as additional hours or overtime depending on the instrument.
Before you download
General information only — not legal advice
This document is a general HR template provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest changes in legislation or apply to every workplace situation. RosterElf Pty Ltd and the template provider accept no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this document. Users should seek independent legal advice and customise the template to ensure it complies with all relevant laws, awards and workplace requirements.