If you are paid by the hour, you should be paid for the extra hour you work when the clocks go back, because workers are paid for the hours they actually work. The clocks went back at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026, so a night shift that spanned the change lasted an extra hour. Salaried staff normally see no change to their monthly pay.
The twice-yearly clock change is a payroll headache that catches employers out every autumn. When the clocks go back, a worker on a night shift does an extra hour; when they go forward in March, they do one hour fewer. Who gets paid for that hour depends on whether they are paid by the hour or on a fixed salary, and on what their contract says. This guide sets out the rules, the National Minimum Wage trap to avoid, and a worked example. Every figure below was re-checked against gov.uk on 26 October 2026.
Do night shift workers get paid for the extra hour when the clocks go back?
Yes, if they are paid by the hour. When the clocks went back on 25 October 2026, a worker whose shift covered 2am worked a 25-hour day, and anyone paid for the hours they actually work is entitled to pay for that extra hour. Someone on a fixed annual salary is normally paid the same whatever the clocks do, unless their contract says otherwise.
There is no separate "clock change" rule in employment law. The answer falls out of ordinary pay rules: hourly workers are paid for hours worked, and salaried workers receive a set amount for the period. The two groups are treated differently, which is why it pays to check how your own pay is calculated on your payslip.
When do the clocks change in 2026 and 2027?
The clocks go back on the last Sunday of October and forward on the last Sunday of March. In the UK the change always happens at 2am, so no working day loses or gains an hour in the middle of the morning. The table shows the next few changes.
| Change | Date | At 2am the clocks... | Effect on a night shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clocks go back (BST ends) | Sunday 25 October 2026 | go back to 1am | One hour longer |
| Clocks go forward (BST starts) | Sunday 28 March 2027 | jump to 3am | One hour shorter |
| Clocks go back (BST ends) | Sunday 31 October 2027 | go back to 1am | One hour longer |
What happens when the clocks go forward in March?
When the clocks go forward, the hour between 1am and 2am disappears, so a night shift is one hour shorter. An hourly worker is paid for the hours they actually worked, which is one fewer, so their pay for that shift is lower. A salaried worker again sees no change. Over the year the autumn gain and the spring loss cancel out for hourly staff, but each individual shift is paid on its real length.
How does the clock change affect different types of worker?
The clock change affects hourly and salaried workers differently. Hourly and shift workers are paid for the exact hours worked, so their pay rises in October and falls in March. Salaried workers are paid a fixed amount for the period and are usually unaffected either way. The table summarises the position.
| How you are paid | Clocks go back (Oct) | Clocks go forward (Mar) |
|---|---|---|
| Paid by the hour | Paid for the extra hour worked | Paid one hour less |
| Fixed annual salary | Normally no change to pay | Normally no change to pay |
| Salary plus a shift premium | Premium follows the contract terms | Premium follows the contract terms |
Salaried workers
A salaried worker receives the same monthly pay regardless of the clock change, because a salary is a fixed sum for the pay period, not a price per hour. Some employers choose to pay salaried night staff extra for the October hour, or offer time off in lieu, but there is no legal duty to do so unless the contract promises it. The fair flip side is that salaried staff are not docked for the shorter March shift.
Hourly and shift workers
Hourly and shift workers should be paid for every hour they are on duty, so the October night brings an extra hour of pay and the March night one hour less. This is simply the normal rule that you are paid for the time you work. If your rota shows a 12-hour shift but you physically worked 13 hours because of the clocks, you worked 13 hours and should be paid for 13. Employers running payroll need to capture the real hours, not the rostered ones.
What does the National Minimum Wage mean for the extra hour?
The National Minimum Wage must be met on average across the whole pay reference period, counting every hour actually worked. So if an employer pays a night worker for only their rostered hours but they worked an extra hour because of the clock change, the extra unpaid hour can drag their average hourly pay below the legal minimum, which is a breach. From 1 April 2026 the main rates, per GOV.UK, are:
| Band | Rate from 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21 and over) | £12.71 an hour |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 an hour |
| 16 to 17 and apprentices | £8.00 an hour |
Overtime is not something you have an automatic legal right to be paid extra for; what matters is that the contract is honoured and that average pay across the period does not fall below the minimum wage, as GOV.UK explains. For the clock-change hour, the safe and correct approach is to pay hourly staff for the hour they actually worked.
What counts as night work under the Working Time Regulations?
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, night time is the period between 11pm and 6am unless the employer and worker agree a different seven-hour block that includes midnight to 5am. A night worker is someone who, as a normal course, works at least three hours of their daily working time at night. Night workers must not work more than an average of eight hours in any 24-hour period, usually measured over 17 weeks, per GOV.UK.
The extra hour from the clock change feeds into that average, so an employer close to the eight-hour limit should check the longer October shift does not tip a worker over once averaged. Night workers are also entitled to a free health assessment, and to the same rest breaks as everyone else: a 20-minute break on any shift over six hours, which GOV.UK sets out in full.
A worked example: a 12-hour night shift
Sam is a security guard aged 24, paid the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for 2026/27. Sam works a shift from 7pm to 7am across the night of 25 October 2026. Because the clocks went back at 2am, the shift lasted 13 hours, not 12.
| Shift | Hours worked | Pay at £12.71/hr |
|---|---|---|
| Normal night (no clock change) | 12 hours | £152.52 |
| Night the clocks go back (25 Oct 2026) | 13 hours | £165.23 |
| Night the clocks go forward (28 Mar 2027) | 11 hours | £139.81 |
If Sam's employer paid for only the rostered 12 hours on 25 October, Sam would receive £152.52 for 13 hours of work, which is £11.73 an hour and below the £12.71 minimum, so the employer would be in breach. Paying for the full 13 hours keeps Sam above the minimum and is the correct result. A salaried colleague on the same shift would be paid the same whichever night they worked. You can model your own figures with our take-home pay guide or the minimum wage for different types of work rules on GOV.UK.
What should employers do about the clock change?
Employers should record the hours staff actually work, not the rostered hours, and pay hourly staff accordingly. A short checklist for each clock change:
- Capture real hours. Make sure your time records show 13 hours for the October night and 11 for the March night where a shift spans 2am.
- Check minimum wage. Confirm average pay across the pay reference period stays at or above the statutory minimum once the extra hour is counted.
- Follow the contract. Apply any shift premiums or enhanced night rates exactly as the contract sets them out.
- Watch the eight-hour average. For night workers near the limit, check the longer shift once averaged over the reference period.
- Be consistent. If you do not dock the shorter March shift, pay the longer October one, and vice versa.
Check a payslip against the minimum wage →
Sources
- Night working hours and rest breaks, GOV.UK
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, GOV.UK
- Overtime: your rights, GOV.UK
- Rest breaks at work, GOV.UK
- Minimum wage for different types of work, GOV.UK
Running payroll with night or shift staff? Zmartly handles your payroll, keeps you compliant with the minimum wage rules through every clock change, and makes sure your team is paid correctly. Book a free call with a Zmartly accountant.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get paid for the extra hour when the clocks go back?
If you are paid by the hour, yes. You are paid for the hours you actually work, so a night shift that lasts 13 hours because the clocks went back should be paid as 13 hours. If you are on a fixed salary, your pay normally does not change, because a salary is a set amount for the period rather than a price per hour.
Do night workers lose an hour's pay when the clocks go forward?
Hourly workers are paid for the hours they work, so a March night shift that lasts 11 hours instead of 12 is paid as 11 hours. Over the year this balances the extra hour gained in October. Salaried workers are unaffected and keep the same pay in both March and October.
How many hours can a night worker work?
Night workers must not work more than an average of eight hours in any 24-hour period, usually averaged over 17 weeks, under the Working Time Regulations 1998. The extra hour from the October clock change counts towards that average, so employers near the limit should check the longer shift does not breach it once averaged.
Does the clock change affect salaried staff's pay?
No. Salaried staff are paid a fixed amount for the pay period regardless of the clock change, so they are neither paid extra for the longer October shift nor docked for the shorter March one, unless their contract specifically provides otherwise. Any enhanced night premium follows the terms written into the contract.
