Working Time Directive
The Working Time Directive of the European Union is a collection of regulations concerning hours of work, designed to protect the health and safety of workers. Key features are the limiting of the maximum length of a working week to 48 hours in 7 days, and a minimum rest period of 11 hours in each 24 hours.
Quite simply, all employers need to be fully aware of the key components of the legislation and how it can affect contractors currently working on their premises.
Jenrick is fully aware of the Working Time Directive, understanding exactly how it impacts employers and contractors.
Here are some brief highlights:
What counts as work?
As well as carrying out your normal duties, your working week includes:
- job-related training
- job-related travelling time, for example, if you are a sales rep
- working lunches, for example business lunches
- time spent working abroad, if you work for a UK-based company
- paid and some unpaid overtime
- time spent 'on-call' at the workplace
Working two different jobs
If you work two jobs you could either:
- consider signing an opt-out agreement with your employers if your total time worked is over 48 hours or
- reduce your hours to meet the 48-hour limit
What does not count as work?
Your working week does not include:
- breaks when no work is done, such as lunch breaks
- normal travel to and from work
- time when you are 'on call' away from the workplace
- evening and day-release classes not related to work
- travelling outside of normal working hours
- unpaid overtime that you have volunteered for, so for example, staying late to finish something off
- paid or unpaid holiday
- Overtime
- Rest breaks
Young workers
If you are under 18 and over school leaving age you are classed as a young worker. You are under school leaving age until the end of the summer term of the school year in which you turn 16. Young workers have different working time limits than adult workers.
- Young workers and working hours (young people section)
Who is not covered by the working time limits?
Your working week is not covered by the working time limits if you work in the following areas:
- jobs where you can choose freely how long you will work (eg a managing executive)
- the armed forces, emergency services and police are excluded in some circumstances
- domestic servants in private houses
- sea transport workers
- mobile workers in inland waterways and lake transport
- workers on board sea going fishing vessels
- For more information on working hours for drivers and crew of heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and passenger service vehicle (PSV) drivers, contact the Vehicle and Operator Standards Agency (VOSA) on 08706 060 440.
Enforcement of the working time regulations
Enforcement of the working time regulations is split between different authorities. The limits on working time and health assessments of night workers are enforced by the:
- Health and Safety Executive
- Local authority environmental health departments
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA)
- Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
The entitlements to rest and leave are enforced through Employment Tribunals
More details and further reading:
Want to know more?
If you want to ensure all the contractors on your site are compliant, please contact your nearest Jenrick Office:
- Burton Office (01283) 548 121 - Engineering Recruitment
- Camberley Office (01276) 624 66 - Engineering, Building and Construction Recruitment
- Crick Office (01788) 524 888 - Engineering Recruitment
- Walton on Thames Office (01932) 245 500 - IT, Commercial and Clinical Recruitment