Rest Requirements

Rest constraints ensure employees have adequate recovery time between shifts, comply with labor regulations, and maintain work-life balance.

Rest Types

Type	Description
Between shifts	Minimum idle time after a specific shift ends
Weekly rest	Minimum total rest during a defined period
Consecutive rest	Minimum uninterrupted rest period

Rest After Shift

Require minimum rest time after specific shift types. Triggered when a shift ends:

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "tags": ["NIGHT"],
      "sequence": "AFTER",
      "min": "PT15H"
    }
  ]
}

After any shift tagged NIGHT, the employee must have at least 15 hours before their next shift.

Multiple Rest Tolerances

Define tiered rest requirements:

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "tags": ["NIGHT"],
      "min": "PT15H",
      "frequency": 1
    },
    {
      "tags": ["NIGHT"],
      "min": "PT22H",
      "frequency": 1
    }
  ]
}

Weekly Rest

Ensure minimum total rest hours within a defined period:

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "period": {
        "from": "2024-01-01T00:00:00",
        "to": "2024-01-08T00:00:00"
      },
      "min": "PT35H"
    }
  ]
}

Employees get at least 35 hours of rest during the week of January 1-7.

Exclude Non-Work Shifts

Exclude certain shift types from rest calculations:

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "excludes": ["TRAINING", "MEETING"],
      "period": {
        "from": "2024-01-01T00:00:00",
        "to": "2024-01-08T00:00:00"
      },
      "min": "PT35H"
    }
  ]
}

Weekend Rest Window

Define a specific weekend rest window (e.g., Saturday night to Monday morning):

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "period": {
        "from": "2024-01-06T20:00:00",
        "to": "2024-01-08T08:00:00"
      },
      "min": "PT35H"
    }
  ]
}

Maximum Rest Duration

Cap how long an employee can be idle between shifts (e.g. to avoid disengagement or maintain on-call cadence):

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "tags": ["NIGHT"],
      "max": "PT48H"
    }
  ]
}

If more than 48 hours pass after a shift tagged NIGHT before the next shift, the schedule is penalized.

Consecutive Rest

Require a minimum uninterrupted rest period:

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "period": { "type": "WEEKLY" },
      "min": "PT20H",
      "minConsecutive": "PT10H",
      "frequency": 3,
      "sequence": "AFTER"
    }
  ]
}

min

string (ISO 8601 duration)

Total minimum rest required (can be split)

max

string (ISO 8601 duration)

Maximum allowed rest duration between shifts — penalizes idle gaps longer than this value

minConsecutive

string (ISO 8601 duration)

Minimum uninterrupted rest block required

frequency

integer

Number of rest-rule violations tolerated before the constraint penalizes. If the number of violations is at or below frequency, none are penalized; once violations exceed frequency, every violation is penalized (not just the excess).

Rest Properties

Common Rest Patterns

11-hour daily rest (EU Working Time Directive)

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "sequence": "AFTER",
      "min": "PT11H"
    }
  ]
}

24-hour weekly rest

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "period": { "type": "WEEKLY" },
      "min": "PT24H",
      "minConsecutive": "PT24H"
    }
  ]
}

Extended rest after night shifts

{
  "rests": [
    {
      "tags": ["NIGHT"],
      "sequence": "AFTER",
      "min": "PT48H"
    }
  ]
}

Combine rest rules with patterns for comprehensive fatigue management. Rest rules handle timing, patterns handle shift sequences.

Platform

VRP API

Fill API

Rest Types

Rest After Shift

Multiple Rest Tolerances

Weekly Rest

Exclude Non-Work Shifts

Weekend Rest Window

Maximum Rest Duration

Consecutive Rest

Rest Properties

Common Rest Patterns

​Rest Types

​Rest After Shift

​Multiple Rest Tolerances

​Weekly Rest

​Exclude Non-Work Shifts

​Weekend Rest Window

​Maximum Rest Duration

​Consecutive Rest

​Rest Properties

​Common Rest Patterns

Rest Types

Rest After Shift

Multiple Rest Tolerances

Weekly Rest

Exclude Non-Work Shifts

Weekend Rest Window

Maximum Rest Duration

Consecutive Rest

Rest Properties

Common Rest Patterns