Working Time Regulations

In this section you can find out more about the Working Time Regulations – one of the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) current issues.

Background

The Working Time Regulations were adopted in 1993 and amended in 2000. The United Kingdom currently has an “opt-out” clause, which allows Member States not to respect the 48 hour working week limit under certain conditions.

In November 2008 the European Parliament’s Employment & Social Affairs Committee voted to set the maximum working time at 48 hours and to remove the opt-outs, a position which was supported by the Parliamentary plenary session in December.

This was at odds with the decision-making Council of the European Union and in a process known as conciliation, the European Parliament and Council met to try and find a compromise agreement.

At the end of April 2009 the conciliation process collapsed, the main stumbling block being the opt-out clause.

What the BVA has done

The BVA, through its Members’ Services Group (MSG) has produced a workforce agreement template as a members’ resource. Supporting this resource are some guidance notes for employers and employees outlining the rights afforded by the regulations and the options for adapting these to suit the needs of the practice.

Earlier in the year BVA took part in the RCVS discussion forum which explored ways in which 24/7 might be better implemented. Solutions to the dilemma of providing 24/7 cover whilst remaining within the law were discussed and the results were taken to the RCVS Advisory Committee in September 2009 for development.