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Employment European Union For businesses

EU Working Time Directive Compliance Check

Check whether your organisation meets EU Working Time Directive requirements — covering maximum weekly hours, rest periods, night work, and annual leave entitlements.

Start free check 10 questions · 7 minutes · No signup

Did you know? The numbers behind this check.

  • 48 hours (over reference period)Maximum average working week
  • 11 consecutive hoursMinimum daily rest
  • 4 weeks (many states grant more)Minimum annual leave
  • 8 hours per 24-hour periodNight work limit

Why this matters.

Directive 2003/88/EC (the Working Time Directive) sets minimum standards for working time across all EU member states, including a 48-hour maximum average working week (measured over a reference period), a minimum of 11 consecutive hours’ daily rest, a minimum of one day off per week, a 20-minute rest break for shifts over 6 hours, and a minimum of 4 weeks’ paid annual leave. Member states may implement stricter protections; workers cannot validly waive many of these rights even by agreement.

The Court of Justice of the EU has interpreted the Directive expansively: on-call time spent at the employer’s premises counts as working time (CJEU C-303/98 SIMAP); time spent travelling to a client by mobile workers with no fixed office counts as working time (CJEU C-266/14 Tyco). The CJEU also requires member states to establish objective, reliable, and accessible systems for measuring daily working time (C-55/18 CCOO v Deutsche Bank). Non-compliance exposes employers to enforcement by national labour inspectorates and civil claims from workers.

Have these to hand.

  • Records of working hours for employees (including overtime)
  • Your organisation's annual leave policy and entitlements
  • Details of any opt-out agreements you have with employees
  • Whether you employ night workers or shift workers
  • Your reference period for calculating the 48-hour average

What you’ll get.

  • 1A score out of 100Where you stand today, at a glance.
  • 2Findings ranked by riskWhat could cost you, highest risk first.
  • 3A plan with timeframesWhat to fix first and by when.

Use this free tool to check whether your organisation’s working time practices comply with the EU Working Time Directive and identify priority areas for improvement.

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General guidance only, not legal advice. Consult a qualified solicitor or adviser in your jurisdiction for specific issues.