Dublin Chamber of Commerce invite your company to contribute to the EU policy making process by taking part in our survey on the revision of the Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC).

This questionnaire asks about the impact on your company of EU rules regarding working time limits, minimum daily and weekly rest, overtime and on-call work, night work and annual leave. Your replies will be taken into account in a comprehensive review of the Working Time Directive currently undertaken by the European Commission.
The review will analyse, among other issues, how far the rules and exceptions set out by the Directive match with the actual needs of businesses and workers.

The deadline for response is Tuesday 17th August 2010.

If you wish to have your say and contribute to sharping your business environment please click on the following link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/working-time-directive.

Background Information

The EU Working Time Directive sets out some minimum common rules aimed to protect workers' health and safety, which all national laws and collective agreements in the EU must respect. National rules may fix rules which give more protection to workers than the minimum rules set by the Directive, but not rules which would give less protection..

The minimum rules fixed by the Working Time Directive include:.

- Limit to weekly working time: workers may not be required to work more than 48 hours a week on average (including any overtime or on-call time ).

- Minimum daily and weekly rest periods for workers (workers are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours' rest each day and 24 – 35 hours' uninterrupted rest each week);.

- Extra protection for night workers (e.g. maximum 8 hour shift on average; right to transfer to day work if possible, if night work is negatively affecting worker's health).

- Paid annual leave for workers (at least 4 weeks per year).

The Directive does not fix any requirements about pay rates for regular, overtime or on-call work.

For further information please contact Marion@dublinchamber.ie