Europe strikes again - firms maybe in breach of work hours directives

[TJC1]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34210002

 

A european court ruling means firms including those employing care workers, gas fitters and sales reps may be in breach of EU working time regulations.

BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said it could have a "huge effect".

"Employers may have to organise work schedules to ensure workers first and last appointments are close to their homes," he added.

----

 

is travelling to work, work? is travelling to last appointments work?

 

should europe keep their noses out?

Edited September 10, 2015 by TJC1
.....

[slordy71]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34210002

 

is travelling to work, work? is travelling to last appointments work?

 

suppose it depends?? if you live in sheffield and your first appointment is say Milton Keynes then yes travel should be paid and travelling from a last appointment in say chesterfield then thats not paid from there to Sheffield. common sense really

[JFKvsNixon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34210002

 

A european court ruling means firms including those employing care workers, gas fitters and sales reps may be in breach of EU working time regulations.

BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said it could have a "huge effect".

"Employers may have to organise work schedules to ensure workers first and last appointments are close to their homes," he added.

----

 

is travelling to work, work? is travelling to last appointments work?

 

should europe keep their noses out?

 

I think that this also may be aimed towards people like careworkers who travel from house to house, but who aren't paid for the travelling time between visits.

[Funky_Gibbon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34210002

 

A european court ruling means firms including those employing care workers, gas fitters and sales reps may be in breach of EU working time regulations.

BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said it could have a "huge effect".

"Employers may have to organise work schedules to ensure workers first and last appointments are close to their homes," he added.

----

 

is travelling to work, work? is travelling to last appointments work?

 

should europe keep their noses out?

 

Anything that closes down one of the loopholes exploitative employers are now using to squeeze at little more money out of their employees is a good thing. Maybe an amendment is needed to say they only get paid if the journey is over a reasonable average travel time to and from work (plenty of good firms already do this) but in principle it's something we should approve of.

 

Don't worry though, if we leave the EU it'll get scrapped along with many other employment rights.

[TJC1]

I think that this also may be aimed towards people like careworkers who travel from house to house, but who aren't paid for the travelling time between visits.

 

that's one of the benefits of the ruling.....

 

---------- Post added 10-09-2015 at 17:30 ----------

 

I can see a lot of disadvantages....we are just about to up wage to living wage for one....do we need yet more pressure on firms?

[Mister M]

I was a care worker, though it was residential, thus didn't travel between visiting clients.

In 2014 only 6% of local authorities make it a contractual condition for care providers to pay workers' travel time. Travel for care workers can take a large portion of their shift, meaning that care workers aren't paid the minimum wage.

In 2014 the National Audit Office reported that as many as 220,000 carers were not getting the minimum wage.

And also in 2014 the HMRC said almost half of the care companies it investigated were not complying with minimum wage regulations.

Scandalous that many dedicated staff are treated in such a shabby fashion.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31258205

I think when people scorn European institutions as bossy and out of touch, they should remember that as far as care workers go, they made the right decision.

Edited September 10, 2015 by Mister M

[bigsexydoug]

I turned down a job 2 months ago as they thought I would drive a company van to my first job in Wales there and back (no hotels) every day for free .

[LeMaquis]

[/color]I can see a lot of disadvantages....we are just about to up wage to living wage for one....do we need yet more pressure on firms?

 

I take it you'll be asking your boss for a pay cut in order to alleviate the pressure on your firm.

[tzijlstra]

First thing: Let's make it clear this is the EUHRC, not the EU. Secondly, what is wrong with paying someone doing work? Surely travelling to and from a customer is work, or do you consider it leisure because you get to listen to your favourite radio station whilst doing it?

 

I think it is eminently sensible and I say that as someone who worked 10 hour + 2 hour break shifts 2 hours away from where I lived because nobody else wanted the job... (Yes, they were 16 hour days, yes I only got paid for 10 of those).

[taxman]

There are all sort of complicated tax implications that I wont go into. Most people have a workplace and travel to and from is not counted as work. Those that don't have a set workplace sometimes end up being sent on jobs right left and centre across a city and end up miles away from home. In going home some can claim the time but not the travel costs, others claim the travel but not the time, some claim both, some neither.

 

Time it was standardised.