Working time developments – 2006

This review of working time developments in Europe in 2005 and 2006 finds that over the period the average collectively agreed weekly working time in the EU was 38.7 hours, while agreed normal annual working time averaged around 1,750 hours. Of the eight sectors and occupational groups examined in the study, agreed weekly hours are highest in retail, followed by doctors in public hospitals. Average collectively agreed paid annual leave entitlement stood at 25.3 days across the EU in 2006. This report also examines statutory working time and leave limits, actual working hours and overtime, and highlights the topical issue of ‘on-call’ work.