TOIL

TOIL, short for time off in lieu, is paid time off given instead of extra pay for extra hours already worked.

In UK workplaces it is a common way to handle late finishes, rest-day cover, and event weekends without an overtime rate. The rota still has to show who actually worked, and the TOIL balance has to be taken later or it becomes a staffing debt. Whether extra hours are paid or banked as time off is a contract, policy, or collective-agreement question. There is no statutory overtime premium. Average pay across all hours worked must not fall below the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, and working-time rest rules still apply. TOIL is not a substitute for statutory annual leave.

Also called: lieu time / banked time (Canada). The US has no standard term for hourly staff. Related: overtime, rota, national minimum wage.