The Working Time Directive

The Working Time Directive of 1993 and the revised version in 2000 were an implementation of the European Social Charter of 1961 that stated that Member States to the European Union had to ensure "every worker has the right to limitation of maximum working hours". The main objective of the Working Time Directive is to promote health and safety at work, given the clear evidence that people who work long hours run higher risks of illness and accidents.

The main provisions of the 1993 Working Time Directive included :

• The maximum average weekly working time for an employee was to be limited to 48 hours on average. This figure included overtime shifts worked.
• Employers were given a statutory responsibility to give employees at least four weeks' paid annual leave
• Employees were limited to working only 13 hours in a 24 hour period and further to this employees must have one day each work where they are not required to attend work.
• For night workers a shift should be no more that eight hours long in any 24 hour period, on average

This original document was superceded by the 2000 Amendment: Directive 2000/34/EC

This amendment to the Working Time Directive in 2000 extended the legislation to cover non-mobile workers in areas that were previously excluded and has been expanded to cover the majority of industrial areas since this date.

The Reasoning Behind the Working Time Directive

The central concern of the European Working time Directive was to minimise the risks to the European work force of long working hours. It had been established that a clear link exists between an employee working long hours, which will induce work-related fatigue, and that the likelihood of an industrial accident increase due to the resultant loss of concentration. Workers who put in more than 48 hours' work on average week suffer a higher risk of heart disease, stress-related and mental illnesses. The risks associated with developing diabetes and bowel problems are also raised. Within people who work over 48 hours there is also an increased likelihood that they will smoke and/or drink heavily.

The Working Time Directive and your Business

As an employer you have a responsibility to promote the health and safety of your employees in relation to the hours worked. One of the simplest ways to monitor your employees working hours is through the application of an employee time and attendance system. This will provide a simple and effective way of monitoring staff working hours and will ensure that you can uphold the employer responsibilities for employee welfare under the Working Time Directive.