- EU Rule that Traveling To Work, ‘Is Work’
- Travel to first and last appointment is now working time
- Impact on industries including Care Work, Gas Fitters and Sales Reps
- Health and Safety of employees
- Employers have NOT considered this time
- Employers to bear the burden
Original Author: Assent Risk Management
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Content
The European Court of Justice has ruled that time spent traveling to and from first and last appointments by workers without a fixed office should be regarded as working time.
Many employers have not considered this time.
This could mean that firms such as those employing care workers, gas fitters and sales reps might be in breach of EU working time regulations.
Therefore, this may have a huge effect on employers, and they may have to organise work schedules around their employees, making sure their first and last appointments are close to their homes.
Health & Safety Implications
Thousands of employers now have the possibility of potentially being in breach of working time regulation rules in the United Kingdom.
The Court expressed that its ruling was about protecting the “health and safety” of workers as set out in the European Union’s working time directive.
This directive has been amended to shield workers from exploitation by employers, and it lays down regulations on matters including how long employees work, how many breaks they have, and how much holiday they are eligible for.
One of its main goals is to ensure that NO employee in the EU is obliged to work over the average of 48 hours a week.
This ruling came alive because of a continuing legal case in Spain involving the company who install security systems, called Tyco.
To find out more please look on the BBC Website: