48 hour week

[beast5680]

i see the busybodies are interfering again, if i get subjected to a 48 hour week they better raise my pay :-k

Wednesday, 17, Dec 2008 12:00

The European parliament has today voted on ending the UK's opt-out of a mandatory 48-hour working week.

This will enforce a maximum working week of 48 hours, meaning people working longer than this will be working illegally long hours.

Labour MEPs sided with trade unions to vote for the end of the opt-out, going against Gordon Brown's wishes.

The opt-out will still be in place until 2012 when a new round of negotiations will take place.

[3laner]

just another thing we are told what we can and cant do.surely if someone wants to work they should be allowed, breach of human rights if you ask me.

[carbore]

Well im currently re installing our websites after a security breach. Should I go home and leave it then.

[AndyMacG]

48 hour week  :'( , that would drop my wages a hell of alot  I normally end up doing 65 to 70 hours a week   ,so that would mean I would only be working for 3 and a half days a week

couldnt see my boss being too chuffed when I ring him up and say  cant go any further I ve done 48 hours, so  come and pick me up and bring another driver for the wagon,btw I'm in fraserburgh or somewhere equally far away from our yard in Stafford :P

[Bob696]

Knock 5 hours a week off me at the busy time and no drop in pay.  :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[V8MoneyPit]

It's not going to happen before 2012 and I sincerely doubt it will happen then either.

We are open to the public 52 hours a week, so we work a little more than that. Since there are only 2 of us here, we would have to reduce our business hours to fall in line or take on another employee with their associated costs  :shock:
Even if it did happen, it would most likely apply to employees only. Sole traders are not employees, so they would be fine carrying on. We are a directors of a Limited company and as such are employees. I assume there would need to be waivers for directors of SME's. Otherwise, the business world would suffer.

[mudmuncher]

You all are working far to hard.  :(   I work shifts on a rota basis. Four out of six weeks I work a total of 40 hours per week, two out of six  I work only 32 hours but still get paid for 40.   :D :D Any extra hours are paid as overtime rate even on a 'short' week.  :D :D
Should I look for a second form of employment so I too can work 60 plus hours a week? 
Nope I like working these 'part-time' hours  :D :D

[zebidee]

Nah - you're all mis-understanding it ... the point is that they're wanting to make it illegal for companies to demand that you work more than 48 hours a week. You'll still be able to choose to work more than 48 hours a week if you want to - but your boss can't turn round and say "Oi - you've GOT to work the whole weekend."

Of course your boss could say "we'd like you to work the weekend and will definitely appreciate it from the people who do." (and of course we'll definitely remember who wasn't willing to).

When they first introduced Britain's opt-out we were all invited to sign an opt-out of the working time directive which meant we would work more than 48 hours a week if required. The place I'm at now have it in the contract - of course you could negotiate that before you accept the job (yeah right).

Z~

[lee celtic]

I only do 38  :-.

[landmannnn]

Nah - you're all mis-understanding it ... the point is that they're wanting to make it illegal for companies to demand that you work more than 48 hours a week. You'll still be able to choose to work more than 48 hours a week if you want to - but your boss can't turn round and say "Oi - you've GOT to work the whole weekend."

Of course your boss could say "we'd like you to work the weekend and will definitely appreciate it from the people who do." (and of course we'll definitely remember who wasn't willing to).

Not quite right.  The full working time directive would not allow more than 48 hours, voluntary or not. 
It is actually a 17 week average, holiday and breaks are taken out.  If you attend work 55 hours in a week, take off 5 hours for breaks and another 4 for holiday accrual that takes you well below the 48.  Unpaid overtime doesn't count either..

[gtomo2]

As a hgv driver we have the 48 hour work week and its worked on a avarage of over 17 or 8 weeks so i still work 64 hours per week but onlt driving and opening the trailer etc are "work everything else is called poa or rest. So i would not worry about ti to much

[Mash]

I'd love to work 48 hours a week ! but it aint gonna  happen  :roll:

Typical crap from the EU again

[Range Rover Blues]

I think it's there to protectpeople who feel they ae obliged to work more hours than they wish, in the UK we work more hours than the rest of Europe.  Obvioulsy you can't please all the people all the time.............

Then there's the health issue with a long working week.

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

Nah - you're all mis-understanding it ... the point is that they're wanting to make it illegal for companies to demand that you work more than 48 hours a week. You'll still be able to choose to work more than 48 hours a week if you want to - but your boss can't turn round and say "Oi - you've GOT to work the whole weekend."

Of course your boss could say "we'd like you to work the weekend and will definitely appreciate it from the people who do." (and of course we'll definitely remember who wasn't willing to).

Not quite right.  The full working time directive would not allow more than 48 hours, voluntary or not. 
It is actually a 17 week average, holiday and breaks are taken out.  If you attend work 55 hours in a week, take off 5 hours for breaks and another 4 for holiday accrual that takes you well below the 48.  Unpaid overtime doesn't count either..

As mentioned above "voluntary or not". I checked on this a couple of years ago, and was told that the voluntary work could include things such as driving for a charity, reserve armed forces, lifeboat crews etc etc.
What impact would that have on people who act as carers for relatives, in addition to their full time jobs?
This could really throw a spanner in the works.

[marjan]

I only do 38  :-.

I can just beat that - I only do 37 a week  :D :D :D (don't work Friday afternoons).

[littlepow]

There will still be exemptions for certain government owned/run departments.

[ne jones]

I'm only paid as an employee for 18 hours a week and hope I will never get into a situation where working 48hrs a week or not matters.

I was there in the past and really believe tha long hours I worked contributed to my heart failure a few yrs ago.