What causes work-related fatigue?

Safe Work Australia's guidance “Managing the risk of fatigue at work” lists the main contributing factors: long work hours, the timing of shifts (night work and early starts that cut across the body clock), insufficient or short breaks, high mental or physical demands, long commutes on top of the working day, too many consecutive shifts or not enough recovery between them, and on-call or standby work that interrupts sleep. Fatigue builds when these combine, and it is a work health and safety hazard, not just feeling tired.

How do I manage fatigue at work?

Fatigue is managed under the WHS Act general duty (s19) so far as is reasonably practicable. The main controls are roster design (hours, start times and shift patterns that allow enough sleep and recovery), limiting consecutive shifts and overtime, providing adequate breaks within shifts and proper rest between shifts, managing night work specifically, training workers and supervisors to recognise fatigue, and reviewing workloads and deadlines that drive long hours. The higher the fatigue risk, the stronger the controls expected — up to redesigning the roster.

What about shift work and night shifts?

Shift work, especially night shift and rotating rosters, raises fatigue risk because it works against the body clock and reduces both the amount and quality of sleep. There is still no fixed legal cap on shift hours for general work, but the employer must manage the extra risk: limiting the number of consecutive nights, planning for body-clock effects, allowing proper recovery between shifts, and accounting for commuting and on-call in the total fatigue load. Night and rotating shifts score higher in this tool for that reason.

Does the right to disconnect help with fatigue?

It can. Eligible employees generally have a right to disconnect under the Fair Work Act, meaning you can reasonably refuse to monitor, read or respond to work-related contact outside your working hours. That protects rest and recovery time, which helps with fatigue, and it works alongside the Fair Work Act s62 limit on reasonable additional hours. These are about reasonable hours and out-of-hours contact rather than a WHS stop-work rule, but they reduce the kind of always-on pressure that drives fatigue.

Workplace Fatigue Risk Scorer

Score work-related fatigue risk from hours, shift timing, breaks and workload as a WHS hazard — and see where it meets reasonable-hours limits.

Last verified: 21 June 2026

For general (non-driving) work there is no single fixed legal maximum number of hours under work health and safety law — that is a myth. Fatigue is managed as a risk under the WHS Act general duty (s19): your employer must manage it so far as is reasonably practicable, weighing hours, shift timing, breaks, consecutive shifts, recovery, workload, commuting and on-call. This tool scores your fatigue risk, ranks the factors driving it, and sets out the controls that should be in place. Separately, the Fair Work Act (s62) limits hours to 38 per week plus reasonable additional hours, and the right to disconnect protects out-of-hours rest.

There is no single fixed legal maximum number of hours for general work.

For most jobs the law does not stop work at a set number of hours. Instead your employer must manage the risk of fatigue so far as is reasonably practicable. This tool scores that risk and sets out the controls that should be in place.

Describe your work pattern

Pick the closest option for each. There are no exact figures to get right — fatigue risk is about the combination of factors, not one number. Your answers stay in your browser.

1. How long are your shifts?

2. When do you mostly work?

Night work and early starts cut across the body clock and reduce sleep.

3. What are your breaks like?

Breaks within shifts and proper rest between shifts let you recover.

4. How many days in a row do you work?

Consecutive shifts without a real rest day let sleep debt build up.

5. How demanding is the work?

Sustained high mental or physical demand is more tiring.

6. How long is your commute (each way)?

A long commute adds to the working day and eats into rest.

7. Are you on-call or on standby outside your shifts?

On-call work interrupts sleep and recovery even when you are not called in.

High fatigue risk — strong controls needed

High risk

On the factors you described, there is a high risk of work-related fatigue. Your employer should be applying strong controls — limiting consecutive shifts and overtime, building in proper recovery, managing night work and reviewing the roster — because fatigue at this level affects safety and health.

What is driving this rating (most to least)

Night work, which fights the body clock and reduces sleep quality.
Long shifts (around 10–12 hours), which add to fatigue load.
Short or skipped breaks, which limit recovery within the shift.
Several consecutive days (around 5–6) with limited recovery between them.
Moderate mental or physical demand adding to the fatigue load.
A moderate commute that adds to the length of the working day.

What your employer should have in place

Manage night work specifically — limit the number of consecutive nights, plan for the body-clock effects and consider rest facilities.
Cap long shifts and high-demand periods, and rotate or share out the most demanding work.
Account for commuting and on-call in the total fatigue load, not just time at the workstation.
Have a fatigue management plan or policy and review the roster regularly against incidents and near misses.
Limit overtime and the number of consecutive shifts, and avoid short turnarounds between shifts.
Build genuine recovery into the roster — enough days off and enough time between shifts to sleep.
Monitor actual hours worked (including overtime and on-call), not just the rostered hours.
Design rosters so hours, start times and shift patterns give workers enough time to sleep and recover.
Provide adequate breaks within shifts and proper rest between shifts.
Train workers and supervisors to recognise the signs of fatigue and what to do about it.
Encourage workers to report fatigue without fear, and review workloads and deadlines that drive long hours.

No single fixed legal maximum hours for general work

For general (non-driving) work there is no single fixed legal maximum number of hours you can work under work health and safety law. It is a common myth that the law says you cannot work more than a set number of hours — for most jobs it does not. Instead, the law requires your employer (the PCBU) to manage the risk of fatigue so far as is reasonably practicable, taking into account hours, shift timing, breaks, consecutive shifts and recovery, workload, commuting and on-call. The right question is not how many hours, but whether the fatigue risk is being properly controlled. (Heavy-vehicle drivers are an exception — they are subject to fixed work and rest limits under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, a separate regime.)

Reasonable hours and the right to disconnect

Long hours are also limited from the other direction by the Fair Work Act 2009. Under s62, a full-time employee's ordinary hours are 38 per week and an employer can only ask you to work reasonable additional hours — what is reasonable depends on factors including the risk to health and safety from the extra hours, your personal circumstances, notice given and the needs of the workplace. Separately, eligible employees generally have a right to disconnect, meaning you can reasonably refuse to monitor, read or respond to work contact outside your working hours. These are about reasonable hours and out-of-hours contact rather than a WHS stop-work limit, but they work alongside the duty to manage fatigue.

Check the right to disconnect

The law: Model Work Health and Safety Act 2011 s19 (the PCBU's primary duty to ensure the health and safety of workers so far as is reasonably practicable) and Safe Work Australia's guidance “Managing the risk of fatigue at work”. Reasonable hours and the right to disconnect sit under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s62 and the right to disconnect provisions. Victoria runs its own Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, but the same general-duty principle applies — there is no fixed maximum number of hours for general work there either.

This is general information about managing the risk of fatigue at work under work health and safety law, not legal advice, and it does not decide your situation. Fatigue risk depends on the specific work, the roster and the individual worker. If you are unsure, or you believe fatigue is not being managed safely at your workplace, talk to your health and safety representative, your WHS regulator, your union or a workplace lawyer.

Drive a heavy vehicle for work? Fixed work and rest limits apply under the Heavy Vehicle National Law — use the Heavy Vehicle Fatigue Checker instead. For the full set of work health and safety tools, browse the Safety Hub.

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FairWork Mate is an independent commercial service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, or any Australian Government agency. Content is general information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.

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