# Duty Time

> Duty Time means the period beginning when an employee starts their scheduled or actual work, and ending upon their release from work.

**Term:** Duty Time  
**Last updated:** 2026-07-08

## Definition

### Definition 1

In practice, duty time measures how long someone is engaged in or available for work, which sets the limits for how a schedule can be built. It starts at the report time an employee is required to arrive and continues through active work, briefings, and any waiting a worker must remain available for. It ends when the employee is released and free to rest. Because pay, overtime, and safety limits are all calculated from it, duty time needs a clear start and end in the contract. In industries that run continuous operations, such as transport, energy, and logistics, duty time is tracked closely so that a day's total does not exceed agreed or regulated caps. In some sectors, international standards and cross-border rules set additional duty time limitations, so the contract should say which regime applies and how rest periods between duty are measured across a calendar day.

### Definition 2

Duty time is defined differently depending on the sector. In aviation, a flight duty period runs from the time a crew member reports for a flight until the aircraft comes to rest at the end of the last sector, and it is separate from flight time, which counts only the hours the aircraft is moving. This is where duty time limitations matter most: regulators set maximum flight duty periods, minimum rest requirements, and caps on consecutive duty days to manage crew fatigue. In US commercial aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration sets flight time limitations and rest requirements for flightcrew members under [14 CFR Part 117](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-G/part-117), while flight attendant duty and rest rules sit under a separate provision. Reserve or standby hours may count toward the total depending on the rules that apply, and the type of operation, the schedule, and airport reporting requirements all affect how a crewmember's duty period is calculated. For a worked example, take a warehouse operative rostered from 08:00 to 16:00 with a required 30-minute unpaid break. Their duty time is 08:00 to 16:00, the full period they are required to be present, while paid working time is 7.5 hours. If they are held back an extra hour to complete a search of inbound stock, their duty time extends to 17:00 and overtime applies. When drafting, search the contract for how report time, breaks, standby, and release are treated, because each affects the duty total. You can capture these terms in a well-drafted [employment contract](https://www.genieai.co/en-us/template-type/employment-contract).

## Context

### Relevant circumstances

- Setting hours of work for employees
- Establishing overtime policies
- Creating fair work schedules and rosters
- Calculating minimum rest between shifts or duty periods
- Managing fatigue in continuous or shift-based operations
- Defining when standby or reserve time counts as duty
- Applying duty time limitations set by regulators or international standards

### Relevant sectors

- Human Resources
- Technology
- Healthcare

## Relevant contract types

- [Employment Contract](https://www.genieai.co/en-us/template-type/employment-contract)
- [Independent Contractor Agreement](https://www.genieai.co/en-us/template-type/independent-contractor-agreement)
- [Management Agreement](https://www.genieai.co/en-us/template-type/management-agreement)

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