The Working Time Regulations

The Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) implement the EU Working Time Directive (WTD) in the UK. The purpose of the WTD is to protect workers’ health and safety by imposing legal limits on the maximum length of the working week and night work, and requiring paid holidays, breaks and rest periods.

When implementing their working time obligations, EU law requires employers to prioritise workers’ safety, hygiene and health over “purely economic considerations” ( Federacion de Servicios Privados del Sindicato Comisiones Obreras v Tyco Integrated Security s.l. [2015] EUEJC C-266/14).