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Weekly rest in a restaurant: the V day, the X day and 30 + 24 hours

Guide5 min read

In short

  • Under MaRa TES § 8 point 2, a week with five working days earns two days off: a V day of at least 30 hours and an X day of at least 24 hours.
  • The V day must be given in every full working week, Monday 00.00 to Sunday 24.00 (§ 8 points 1 and 2).
  • The X day can be given during the week it is earned, or combined with other time off within the same kolmiviikkoisjakso (the three-week period) (§ 8 point 2).
  • The Working Hours Act (työaikalaki, 872/2019) § 27 sets weekly rest at 35 hours, but a nationwide collective agreement may deviate (§ 34). How the law and the TES figures fit together is a question of interpretation.

What does weekly rest mean in the MaRa TES?

Under MaRa TES § 8, a week with five working days earns two days off, V and X, which differ in length and rules.

For each week containing five working days, two days off are earned: one is a weekly rest day V of at least 30 hours, and the other is an additional day off X of at least 24 hours.

MaRa TES 8 § 2

The weekly rest figures

  • 30 hminimum length of the V dayMaRa TES 8 § 2
  • 24 hminimum length of the X dayMaRa TES 8 § 2
  • 15working days at most in a three-week periodMaRa TES 8 § 1
  • 35 hweekly rest in the lawWorking Hours Act 27 §
A five-day week earns a 30-hour V day and a 24-hour X day under the TES; the law says 35 hours.

The difference is flexibility. The V day is fixed: every full working week. The X day is movable: give it in the week it is earned, or combine it with other time off in the same three-week period. In the same week, it should where possible be given with the V day. An X day moved between weeks counts as a working day (§ 8 point 2). On the period, see The three-week period in the restaurant industry.

Why does the law say 35 hours but the TES 30?

Under Working Hours Act § 27, an employee gets an uninterrupted rest of at least 35 hours once in seven days. Under § 34, a nationwide collective agreement may agree otherwise, and the MaRa TES gives the V day 30 hours.

The law also allows weekly rest to average 35 hours over 14 days, provided each seven-day period has at least 24 uninterrupted hours (§ 27). How this fits the TES V and X days is a question of interpretation that neither text settles. The 11-hour rest between shifts is different: see Rest between shifts in a restaurant.

How do you place V and X on a three-week roster?

The roster (in the law, työvuoroluettelo) covers three weeks, but the V day is counted week by week: one in every full working week, within the 15-working-day maximum for the period.

  1. Place one V day in each Monday-to-Sunday week.
  2. Place the X day next to the V day whenever possible (§ 8 point 2).
  3. A moved X day is given as other time off within the same three-week period.
  4. At most seven working days between days off; at the employee's initiative, otherwise can be agreed case by case (§ 8 point 2). See How many days in a row can a restaurant employee work?
  5. At least every fifth weekend must be arranged as free, so that Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday are consecutive days off (§ 8 point 2).

Example: a cook's three weeks

The example is invented. A full-time cook works 7.5-hour shifts; regular working time is at most 112.5 hours in three weeks (MaRa TES § 7 point 1), or 15 shifts.

Example period: 15 working days, 3 V and 3 X

MoTuWeThFrSaSu
WorkdayWorkdayWorkdayWorkdayWorkdayExtra day offWeekly rest day37,5 h
Weekly rest dayExtra day offWorkdayWorkdayWorkdayWorkdayWorkday37,5 h
Weekly rest dayExtra day offWorkdayWorkdayWorkdayWorkdayWorkday37,5 h
  • Workday
  • Extra day off
  • Weekly rest day
Each week has a V day with X beside it; the period has 15 working days, or 112.5 hours, and at most 15 are allowed (MaRa TES 8 § 1).

In week 1, Saturday and Sunday are consecutive days off, and no run of working days exceeds seven.

If the cook works on a V day, employee and employer must agree, and it is paid at base pay plus 100%; an X day is paid at base pay plus 50% (MaRa TES § 19). At an example wage of €13.50/h, a shift is €101.25 at base pay, €202.50 on a V day and €151.88 on an X day. These hours do not count toward the period's total hours (§ 19).

How Plana helps

Plana's TES check checks every shift against the MaRa TES and the Working Hours Act as you plan: rest periods, consecutive days, weekly rest and period hours. A shift that breaks the law does not save.

A change to a published shift takes effect only once the employee accepts it, and every change and acceptance is recorded. Working-time records (työaikakirjanpito) and roster history are stored and exportable, ready for an occupational safety inspection (työsuojelutarkastus). Try it: free trial. More rules: working time topic.

  • TES checkRest times, days in a row and period hours are checked as you plan. An illegal shift won't save.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Collective agreement for employees in tourism, restaurant and leisure services 2025–2028, 3. Working time, 8 § Arrangement of working time
  2. Collective agreement for employees in tourism, restaurant and leisure services 2025–2028, 3. Working time, 7 § 1. Regular working time
  3. Collective agreement for employees in tourism, restaurant and leisure services 2025–2028, 19 § Work done on a day off
  4. Working Hours Act (872/2019), 27 § Weekly rest
  5. Working Hours Act (872/2019), 34 § Deviation by collective agreement

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