Working Time Directive
As payroll becomes more and more complex, time consuming
to process and expensive to update the annually changing parameters,
many businesses are now outsourcing this accounting function to
a specialist payroll bureau. This bureau is then responsible for
wages processing, staff cover, technical aspects, IT equipment
maintenance, stationery procurement and maintaining the general
confidentiality of this sensitive information.
The UK Government amended the Working Time Directive,
with the stated aim of cutting red tape, without reducing the
protection they provide to workers.
The new rules, in summary, are as follows:
- Workers cannot be forced to work for more than 48 hours a
week (calculated as an average over a 17 week period), unless
they have previously signed a written 'opt-out' agreement,
- Night workers should not work more than 8 hours a day. Employers
must offer these workers a free health assessment before they
start working nights and thereafter on a regular basis,
- Workers are entitled to 11 hours uninterrupted rest between
each working day,
- Workers are entitled to 1 day off a week,
- Workers are entitled to a break of at least 20 minutes if
they work for more than 6 hours. Rest breaks are not in addition
to lunch breaks,
- Full and Part-time workers are entitled to 4 weeks paid annual
leave, once they have been employed for 13 weeks.
National Minimum Wage
Introduced on 1 June 2000, the National Minimum
wage has been set as follows:
| Period
|
Aged 16 & 17 |
Aged 18 - 21 |
Aged Over 21 |
Increase |
| 1/6/00 to 30/9/01 |
N/A |
£3.20 ph |
£3.70 ph |
|
| 1/10/01 to 30/9/02 |
N/A |
£3.50 ph |
£4.10 ph |
+ 11% |
| 1/10/02 to 30/9/03 |
N/A |
£3.60 ph |
£4.20 ph |
+ 2% |
| 1/10/03 to 30/9/04 |
N/A |
£3.80 ph |
£4.50 ph |
+ 7% |
| 1/10/04 to 30/9/05 |
£3.00 ph |
£4.10 ph |
£4.85 ph |
+ 8% |
| 1/10/05 to 30/9/06 |
same to Feb 06 |
£4.25 ph |
£5.05 ph |
+ 4% |
| 1/10/06 to 30/9/07 |
tba |
£4.45 ph |
£5.35 ph |
+ 6% |
Applies to full time and part time workers.
Exemptions:
- Workers in air, rail, road, sea, inland waterway and lake
transport sectors, sea fishing and offshore work.
Exceptions:
- Workplaces requiring round-the-clock activity.
- In emergency or unforeseen circumstances.
- If a collective or workforce agreement has been made to adapt
the work patterns.
The above regulations are to be enforced by the
Health and Safety Exceutive, Employment Tribunals and Local Authority
environmental health departments.
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