New regulations to implement remainder of Young Workers Directive Consultation needed by 6 September 2002

The DTI has published draft regulations on proposed amendments to the Working Time Regulations 1998 designed to implement certain provisions of the Young Workers Directive No.94/33/EC.
The regulations will:

• limit the working time of young workers (those over the minimum school leaving age but under 18) to eight hours a day or 40 hours per week;
• allow for longer working hours for young workers only where it is necessary: to maintain continuity of service or production; to respond to a surge in demand for a service or product; where an adult is not available to perform the duties; and the training needs of the young worker concerned are not adversely affected;
• provide that young workers be adequately supervised during nightwork hours, where that is necessary for their protection, and be allowed equivalent periods of compensatory rest;
• prohibit nightwork by young workers between either 10pm and 6am or between 11pm and 7am, with scope for derogations in certain circumstances;
• permit nightwork between midnight and 4am in certain sectors provided that the above tests are met. These are hospitals or similar establishments; as well as work in connection with cultural, artistic, sporting and advertising activities;
• permit nightwork between 10pm or 11pm and midnight and between 4am and 6am or 7am in the above sectors and also in agriculture, retail trading, hotel or catering work (but not in restaurants or bars), bakeries; or postal or newspaper deliveries; and
• exclude from these provisions young workers in the seafaring and sea fishing industries or the armed forces.