Does an employer need  to keep records of the  actual hours worked to fulfil its obligations under the Working Time Directive?

Yes – according to the CJEU in Federacion de Servicios de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) v Deutsche Bank SAE.

The CCOO is a Spanish trade union which brought a group action against Deutsche Bank, seeking a judgment that the bank was obliged to set up a system to record the actual number of hours worked each day by its employees and make it possible to check that the working times laid down in legislation and collective agreements were properly adhered to. Deutsche Bank used an Absences Calendar – which only permitted the recording of absences for full working days (annual leave, sick leave etc.). Actual hours worked on a particular day were not recorded.

In his opinion, Advocate General Pitruzzella stated that in order to comply with duties under the Working Time Directive, national law must require employers keep records of actual time worked by workers.

In Great Britain, Reg 9 of the Working Time Regulations 1998 requires employers to keep ‘adequate records’ to show whether the weekly working time limits and the night work limits are being complied with. However, it does not cover daily or weekly rest and it does not specifically require all hours of work to be recorded.

Health and Safety Executive guidance states that specific records are not required and that employers may be able to rely on existing records maintained for other purposes, such as pay, in order to meet their Reg 9 obligations.The Advocate General’s opinion is not binding, it is usually followed by the CJEU. if the ECJ adopts the Advocate General’s reasoning, there may be a question over whether UK law complies with the Directive’s requirements.

You can read the judgment here.

FREE first advice

Have you ever wanted to just ask an expert employment law solicitor if they can help you, without worrying about what it may cost to contact them?

Get in touch

We’d like to talk to you to see what we can do to help, so please either call us anytime for free on 08000 614 631, email us or use the form below.

Together we can work out what your next steps might be...in confidence, at no cost and with no obligation.

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UP TO THE MINUTE EMPLOYMENT LAW AND HR NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

* indicates required
McCabe and Co Solicitors will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:
You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at philip@mccabeandco.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.