Where restaurant rosters most often go wrong, and how to check them
In short
- Weekly rest: MaRa TES 8 § 2 gives a V day (at least 30 h) and an X day (at least 24 h), and the Working Hours Act (työaikalaki) 27 § requires 35 hours.
- Regular working time in a three-week period (kolmiviikkoisjakso) is at most 112.5 hours, not 111 (MaRa TES 7 § 1), and the period has at most 15 working days (8 § 1).
- The roster is published at least a week before the period (MaRa TES 9 §, Working Hours Act 30 §), and a published roster may not be changed without consent (MaRa TES 9 §).
- Shifts need at least 11 hours between them unless agreed otherwise, and never under 8 hours (MaRa TES 7 § 4); at most seven working days may fall between days off (8 § 2).
- Work beyond contracted hours up to 120 hours is additional work (lisätyö) at the basic hourly wage (112.5–120 h for a 112.5-hour contract); overtime (ylityö) starts after 120 hours (MaRa TES 18 §); hours must be recorded (Working Hours Act 32 §).
What is a roster, and which limit do you hit first?
A roster (työvuorolista) is the list under MaRa TES 9 § showing start and end times and days off. The law calls it the shift schedule (työvuoroluettelo, Working Hours Act 872/2019, 30 §).
A closing shift ends at 24 and the opening shift starts at 10, leaving 10 hours. MaRa TES 7 § 4 requires at least 11 hours between shifts unless agreed otherwise with the employee, and never under 8 hours.
Closing shift followed by an opening shift
- at least 11 h
The catch is how long an agreement lasts: it stays valid until either party says otherwise, but always to the end of the published roster. More: rest time between shifts.
How much time off must a period contain, and why do the law and the TES give different figures?
Under MaRa TES 8 § 2, each week with five working days earns two days off: weekly rest day V, at least 30 hours, and additional day off X, at least 24 hours. V is given every full working week. Separately, Working Hours Act 27 § requires an uninterrupted rest of at least 35 hours once in seven days.
Both texts apply. Working Hours Act 34 § allows a nationwide collective agreement to depart from weekly rest, but how a 30-hour V day fits the law's 35 hours is a matter of interpretation.
Example period: 15 working days, 3 V and 3 X
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Weekly rest day | Extra day off | 37,5 h |
| Extra day off | Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Weekly rest day | 37,5 h |
| Workday | Workday | Workday | Workday | Weekly rest day | Workday | Extra day off | 37,5 h |
- Workday
- Weekly rest day
- Extra day off
At most seven working days may fall between days off, and a period has at most 15 working days (MaRa TES 8 § 2 and 1). The working week starts on Monday, but the seven-day limit crosses the week boundary: a streak starting on Thursday may continue only to the following Wednesday.
Are regular hours 111 or 112.5, and where does overtime start?
Regular working time in a three-week period is at most 112.5 hours (MaRa TES 7 § 1). Work beyond contracted hours up to 120 hours is additional work at the basic hourly wage. Only work above 120 hours is overtime: a 50 % premium for the first 18 hours, then 100 % (MaRa TES 18 §).
Three-week period hours and pay
- 0–112,5 h · Regular working time · agreed pay
- 112,5–120 h · Additional work · basic hourly wage
- 120–138 h · Overtime, first 18 hours · +50 %
Example: a cook has a 112.5-hour contract and 126 hours are rostered. Wage €13.50/h; evening and Sunday supplements not included.
| Period hours | Class | Pay (MaRa TES 18 §) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–112.5 h | regular working time | agreed pay | – |
| 112.5–120 h (7.5 h) | additional work | basic hourly wage | 7.5 × €13.50 = €101.25 |
| 120–126 h (6 h) | overtime, 50 % | basic hourly wage + 50 % | 6 × €20.25 = €121.50 |
Additional work and overtime require the employee's consent (MaRa TES 18 §), so the cook must consent before the hours above the contract are ordered. Under a balancing system (tasoittumisjärjestelmä) the limits differ (MaRa TES 12 §); these figures apply to the standard period. More: end of the balancing period and overtime.
When must the roster be published, and can a published roster be changed?
Under MaRa TES 9 §, the roster is shown to employees at least a week before the period starts, unless agreed otherwise at the workplace. Working Hours Act 30 § 2 requires written notice a week before the period begins at the latest.
Typical case: a substitute is needed tomorrow, and the person to be moved already has a shift on the published roster.
A roster may not be changed without the consent of the employee and the employer.
The Working Hours Act also allows a change for a weighty reason related to work arrangements (30 § 2), but MaRa TES has no such exception. Whether the TES overrides the law's exception is a matter of interpretation. Structure: the three-week roster step by step.
What must be kept about the roster and hours?
The employer must record hours worked and pay given per employee, and keep the working-time records until the limitation period ends (Working Hours Act 32 §). Shift schedules are kept as long, unless the information appears in the bookkeeping (30 § 1).
While employment continues, the limitation period is two years from the end of the calendar year in which the right to pay arose (40 §): records of September 2026 work are kept until at least 31.12.2028. In Excel, published versions and actual hours easily end up in different files.
How Plana helps
The TES check reviews shifts while you plan: rest times, consecutive days, weekly rest, and period hours and days. An illegal shift does not save. Once the roster is published to phones, a change takes effect only when the employee accepts it, and every change and acceptance is recorded. Three-week hours balancing evens out salaried staff's hours, and consent is asked first for additional work and overtime. The pay calculation itemises additional work, overtime, and Sunday and evening supplements. Working-time records and change history are stored and exportable. See all features or start a free trial by signing up. More: roster articles.
- TES checkRest times, days in a row and period hours are checked as you plan. An illegal shift won't save.
- Three-week hours balancingSalaried staff's hours balance over the period. Extra hours and overtime need the employee's consent first.
- Publishing and changesSend the roster to every phone in one go. A change to a published shift applies once the employee accepts it.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Collective agreement for employees in tourism, restaurant and leisure services 2025–2028 (MaRa TES), 3. Working time, 7–9 §
- MaRa TES, 4. Pay, 18 § Additional work and overtime
- Working Hours Act 872/2019, 30 § Shift schedule, 32 § Working-time records, 40 § Limitation period and 44 § Working-time offence
- Working Hours Act 872/2019, 27 § Weekly rest and 34 § Deviation by collective agreement