Experts slam EC plans

Legal experts have slammed European Commission plans to introduce a ban on 48 hour week opt-outs.

The new proposals would give trade unions and mandatory staff councils a veto on whether an employee can choose to work more than 48 hours and would ban workers from doing more than 65 hours.

Next week, it is expected that the plans will win approval from the full commission.

Employment law partner Nichola Upperton-Evans at national law firm Rowe Cohen said:

At the moment, employees can opt-out of the 48 hour week limit and if used correctly it’s a way of giving workers greater flexibility and individual choice. This move will mean more costs and paperwork for businesses.

A loophole in the EU’s 1993 Working Time Directive allows firms to negotiate individual opt-outs in employee contracts. The new proposals would ban opt-out agreements for employees on probation or signing work contracts and enforce a new agreement every year.