Long shifts and Hours off?

[ceecrb1]

Shocking story! When I was opping autocue for a large "UK tv corporation which has no adverts" I heard a story about an engineer "forced" into 2 striaght 12 hour shifts..

Story goes that on the way home he had a very serious RTA and died. Its not the same but the family got more than a few MILLION pounds and the maximum staff could work in one 24 period (INCLUDING exceptional circumstances) was locked at 12 hours.

 

I digress...

 

My situation has improved, I returned to my warehouse on monday with the above link to the european laws.

A "tech meeting" was called and it was revealed that our production girl had organised us a better than normal pay deal (one off for now) where we will actually get overtime pay for this gig!!! We will also be getting our rest period in various forms.

 

I for example, who have to be in a theater at 10am the morning after will be opping my videowall then going home at 2am when the gig stops. (not perfect but better than the expected 6am leaving the warehouse after derig.)

Those derigging will get 10 hour breaks.

 

Slowly we are getting this new boss to listen..... now all we need to do is get this set to be normal!!

[djw1981]

http://www.fentons.co.uk/article_driving_a...r_crash_437.asp may be pertinent. To quote

Businesses that have employees who drive for work are being warned to ensure they do not have a long hours culture after a firm was found liable for a road accident in which one of its workers was paralysed.

The case sends a warning to employers that cause or permit their employees to work very long hours, and drive at times when they are likely to be very tired, could be liable if that tiredness leads to an accident.

 

Writing in Workplace Law Network’s Driving at work 2007: Law and Practice Special Report, Jeremy Hay and John Maslen comment: “Checks should be put in place by management to make sure that hours worked / spent driving are ‘reasonable’ for all staff, and that drivers are definitely not working / driving for excessive periods on successive days.”

 

When it comes to working time they suggest the following points are considered:

Are your schedules realistic? Do journey times take account of road types and condition and allow for rest breaks?

 

Does company policy put drivers under pressure and encourage them to take unnecessary risk, e.g. to exceed safe speeds because of arrival times?

Can a driver make an overnight stay, rather than having to complete a long road journey at the end of a working day?

 

Employers should also be aware that a landmark case last year highlights that employers’ liability for employees does not end when those employees are out of working hours driving home after working long hours.