paulr

Got into work today to be told on August 1st a new working time directive has just come into force.Even if i sign a form opting out i'm only allowed to do 3x12 hour overtime shifts this month.

I've got 9 planned already.


Is this true????????????????????????????

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Not sure. I'd heard there's something new in the pipeline, but i've not seen anything come through at work about it yet.

John

paulr

I've done a bit of searching,apparently you can opt out of the max 48 hour week but there is no info on what the limit is.
Also it seems that the UK is the only country to have this opt out and its under review.The EU want to do away with it.

glen4

I had to sign this a few weeks ago, no mention of upper hours limit tho', we were told to sign it if we wanted to carry on working more hours.

paulr

More searching today,still no info on an upper limit.
Maybe there isn't one.

Adrian F

I hope not as the over time is the only way i can afford the things i want like a mortage!

At the firm i work for you sign away the 48 hour maximum when you sign the contract of employment and it says if you want to opt back in you have to give 3 months notice in writing!

paulr

It doesn't have to be three months.You have the right to agree to an agreement giving you the need for only one weeks notice.Hopefully thats what i intend to do.
As for the max,i dont think there is one.However the EU are keen to remove the UK opt out and enforcing a maximum 48 hour working week.

Tim-Grove

Done 45 hours over time since Friday( 8hrs Fri night, 17hrs Sat, 17hrs Sun and 3hrs tonight). Had a major incident where a 132KV sub station burnt down in Cannock and there were 45,000 customers off supply. Can you imagine if we all went home after we got to the 48 hour working week maximum, there would be uproar.

What a load of bollox the people who dream up these crap ideas haven’t got a clue, some people need this over time to lead the lifestyle they want. A lot of manually working blokes at our company may only have a basic salary of about 20-25K a year but will almost double that with there over time. These Euro idiots think that they can make up their minds for all of us, well knackers to them I’m keeping my overtime.


[Edited by Tim-Grove - 04/08/2003 20:34:26]

Tim-Grove

Just think of all that money

philgr

I work as a Ltd Company contracting my services out to a major local employer, they operate the 48 hr max as per the european directive, but i have opted out of this agreement, and as far as i know there is no upper limit, i have worked in excess of 70 hrs a week when the job has dictated it many many times

Phil G

john_s

iTrader: (1)

There is a subtle upper limit the working time directive says that an employee has to have at least 11 hours continous rest in any 24 hour period and at least one continuous 24 hour period of rest in any 7 day period (or 2 lots of 24 continuous hours in a 14 day period).

There is no opt out of this like there is for the 48 hour limit, though there are certain "industries" which some of the WTD does not apply to.

HTH.

John

paulr

Done 45 hours over time since Friday( 8hrs Fri night, 17hrs Sat, 17hrs Sun and 3hrs tonight). Had a major incident where a 132KV sub station burnt down in Cannock and there were 45,000 customers off supply. Can you imagine if we all went home after we got to the 48 hour working week maximum, there would be uproar.

Tim....it would be avearaged out over a period of time,so the above would still be possible.Also there may be exceptions for emergency workers.