The Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (the ‘2016 Regulations’) implement elements of European Directive No. 2003/88/EC and European Directive 94/33/EC concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time.
The aim of the Directives is to ensure that workers are protected against adverse effects on their health and safety; caused by working excessively long hours or having inadequate rest or disrupted work patterns. They lay down minimum conditions relating to weekly working time, rest entitlements and annual leave, and make special provision for working hours and health assessment in relation to night workers. The Regulations make special provision for ‘young workers’ (those above school leaving age, but below the age of 18) in terms of daily and weekly working time limits, daily and weekly rest, rest breaks at work and night work.
The 2016 Regulations consolidate and replace the provisions of the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and the ten Statutory Rules which amended it from 1998 to 2009.
- ‘Working Time at a Glance’ is a summary of the main provisions of the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.
Working Time at a Glance February 2016