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The Working Time Regulations

The Working Time Regulations (1998) implement the European Working Time Directive into GB law.

The Regulations were amended, with effect from 1 August 2003, to extend working time measures in full to all non-mobile workers in road, sea, inland waterways and lake transport, to all workers in the railway and offshore sectors, and to all workers in aviation who are not covered by the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004. The Regulations  apply to junior doctors from 1 August 2004.

Useful Documents

HSE is responsible for the enforcement of:

  • the maximum weekly working time limit;
  • night work limits; and
  • health assessments for night work.

HSE does not however, enforce:

  • time off;
  • rest break entitlements; or
  • paid annual leave entitlements.

All initial enquiries should be dealt with by Acas, (the Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service). ACAS will be able to help employers and employees who are seeking information on time off, rest breaks, paid annual leave and other general employment information.

For all queries about employment rights, best practice and policies, and resolving workplace conflict, use the Acas Helpline Online[27] or contact the Acas Helpline:
Telephone: 0300 123 1100
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

More formal enforcement responsibilities are split between HSE, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Contact details for these and other organisations can be found by clicking on the links below.

Useful Links

Link URLs in this page

  1. Contact HSEhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/index.htm
  2. Is HSE the correct enforcing authority?https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/authority.htm
  3. Ways to contact HSEhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/contact.htm
  4. FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/index.htm
  5. Report an incident - RIDDORhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm
  6. Overview - Tell us about a health and safety issuehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/tell-us-about-a-health-and-safety-issue.htm
  7. What happens after you report an issue?https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/after-you-report-a-problem.htm
  8. Whistleblowershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/whistleblowers.htm
  9. HSE formshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/index.htm
  10. Overview - HSE officeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/index.htm
  11. East & South Easthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/eastsoutheast.htm
  12. Londonhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/london.htm
  13. Midlandshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/midlands.htm
  14. North Westhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/northwest.htm
  15. Scotlandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/scotland.htm
  16. Wales & South Westhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/waleswest.htm
  17. Yorkshire & North Easthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/maps/yne.htm
  18. International and overseas visits to HSEhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/visit.htm
  19. Overview - Complaintshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/complain-about-hse.htm
  20. Complaints about regulatory advicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/regulatory-complaints.htm
  21. HSE’s regulation of higher hazard workplace and activitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/regulatory-complaintshazard.htm
  22. Freedom of Information (FOI)https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/index.htm
  23. Confidentialityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/confidentiality.htm
  24. Maximum Weekly Working Hourshttps://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours
  25. The Working Time Regulations (1998)http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1833/contents/made
  26. The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1684/contents/made
  27. Acas Helpline Onlinehttp://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4489
  28. Pay and Work Rightshttps://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights
  29. Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills
  30. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency
  31. The Civil Aviation Authority https://www.caa.co.uk/
  32. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency
  33. The Department of Health https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health
  34. The Department for Transport http://www.dft.gov.uk/
  35. Office for Nuclear Regulationhttp://www.onr.org.uk/
  36. Office of Rail and Roadhttp://orr.gov.uk/

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

RIDDOR
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013

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Updated 2022-08-10