Working on Sundays by country
Germany requires at least 15 Sundays off yearly with specific exceptions. Spain guarantees Sunday as part of weekly rest. UK shop and betting workers can refuse without penalty. The statutory rules vary from mandatory rest to regulated exceptions based on industry.
Scope of this guide
Canada: the Canada Labour Code (federal sector) and the Ontario statutes that LawAsked has loaded. Other provinces are not compared.
| Country | Allowed on Sunday | Premium pay | Compensatory rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Can be required for shop/betting workers; protected workers can refuse | Not specified by statute | Not specified by statute |
| Spain | Sunday included as mandatory rest day (not required to work as rule) | Compensatory rest if worked (can accumulate over 14 days) | One and a half days weekly rest minimum, including Sundays |
| Germany | Only for specific industries/emergencies; minimum 15 Sundays off yearly guaranteed | Rules for hours apply; compensatory time or collective agreement terms | Minimum 15 Sundays per year must be free of work |
Under review
The statute text for these countries has changed since we last checked it, so their figures are hidden until we review them again: Australia, Canada.
Country by country
United Kingdom
- Rule
- Employment Rights Act 1996, Section 101
- Applies to shop workers and betting workers. Those covered as "protected" or who have "opted out" may refuse Sunday work without dismissal penalties.
- Section 101 protects from unfair dismissal for refusing or proposing to refuse shop or betting work on Sunday.
Where an employee who is— a a protected shop worker or an opted-out shop worker, or b a protected betting worker or an opted-out betting worker, is dismissed, he shall be regarded for the purposes of this Part as unfairly dismissed if the reason (or, if more than one, the principal reason) for the dismissal is that he refused (or proposed to refuse) to do shop work, or betting work, on Sunday or on a particular Sunday. Spain
- Rule
- Estatuto de los Trabajadores, art. 37
- Workers get minimum 1.5 days unbroken weekly rest that generally includes Sunday afternoon/evening or full Monday morning, plus full Sunday.
- Minors under 18 get minimum 2 consecutive days off per week.
- Shifts work is possible on Sundays/holidays by team rotation; rest is compensated but not by premium pay.
Los trabajadores tendrán derecho a un descanso mínimo semanal, acumulable por periodos de hasta catorce días, de día y medio ininterrumpido que, como regla general, comprenderá la tarde del sábado o, en su caso, la mañana del lunes y el día completo del domingo. Germany
- Rule
- Arbeitszeitgesetz, §§ 10–11
- Sunday and public holidays are protected as days of rest. Employment is only allowed in emergency/rescue services, public transport, healthcare, gas/water supply, agriculture, hotels/restaurants, shows, and mail.
- At least 15 Sundays per year must be free. Collective agreements can set higher standards.
- Compensation for Sunday work must follow §§ 5–8 rules (generally equivalent time off rather than premium pay).
den Sonntag und die staatlich anerkannten Feiertage als Tage der Arbeitsruhe und der seelischen Erhebung der Arbeitnehmer zu schützen. Mindestens 15 Sonntage im Jahr müssen beschäftigungsfrei bleiben. Countries not in this table yet
FR, AT, NL, SE, NO, JP: comparable provisions exist in code du travail, Arbeitszeit, Arbeidstijdenwet, and labour codes but specific Sunday work entitlements are not clearly stated in the ingested statute excerpts.
How this table was built
Every row is taken from the official, consolidated text of the statute, which LawAsked loads from each government’s legislation service.
Each figure is tied to a passage quoted word for word from that text. When the page is served, it checks that every quoted passage is still in the current text of a law that is in force; if a law is amended and its wording changes, that row is hidden until a person reviews it again.
The table shows the statutory minimum only. Collective agreements, awards and individual contracts often give more than the statute, and some countries let a collective agreement set different terms.
Use this data
The table and the CSV are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit LawAsked and link to this page. Quoted statute text stays under the terms of its official source.
How to cite this page
LawAsked, “Working on Sundays by country”, https://lawasked.com/guides/sunday-work (reviewed October 25, 2026).
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General legal information, not formal legal advice. The information provided on LawAsked does not constitute formal legal advice and creates no attorney-client relationship. If you require legal assistance, please consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.