Working time guideline

This Guideline is designed to provide employers and managers with a reference document dealing with the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. The Act sets out statutory rights for employees in respect of rest, maximum working time and holidays. In specified circumstances certain categories of employees are excluded or exempted from all, or parts of the Acts provisions. Otherwise, all employees are covered. Part III of the Act deals with public holidays and annual leave which are addressed in a separate guideline.

Scope
The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 is a comprehensive piece of legislation and it will affect different organisations in different ways. The most important feature to bear in mind is that certain activities are expressly excluded from the provisions of the Act. Many other activities are covered by exemptions, which, whilst not excluding employees from the provisions of the legislation, allows the application of such provisions to be varied.

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