Is a 42 hour week a 5 or 6 day working week ?

[CW1]

Hi,

Been contacted by an agency about an hourly paid job, on a rolling 3 month contract, alternating between a week working 06:00 to 14:00 (8hrs) and 14:00 to 21:30 (7½hrs), Sunday to Friday. He said it was a 42hr week and the figures he gave me confirm I'd be paid for 42hrs.

Does that mean any breaks are paid for ? I'm used to an annual salary and 14 x 12hr shifts in 28 days, so don't know if breaks are usually paid for nowadays.
The agency was pretty clueless - didn't know if there was even any paid holidays (being a contract) - so no good asking them.

Do 6 day working weeks still exist ? it's been suggested to me there's an EU ruling that you're s'posed to have 2 days off a week.

I can't make the figures add up. Anyone ?

[boxtops]

It depends on the job, but the European working time directive stipulates that for many jobs you can only work 48 hours in a week. We have to take some sort of break every 4 hours or so - 5 hours without a break is not acceptable, and we work in offices.

[boxtops]

PS - but in a 9-5 working day (8 hours) we are only paid for 7.5, so no, we don't get a paid lunch break.

[lcg]

days off! ha ha - you've obviously never worked in the nhs. i regularly do 70 hour weeks and work every day (cause my pay is so crap and i can't afford not to). it is what it is. read the small print and if you don't like the terms...don't take the job. simples x

[factor-fiction]

I'm not sure we can tell you how the hours and pay are worked out. Six day weeks are legal. The hours seem okay in relation to the working time directive.
Lunch breaks are not normally paid for.
Would you work Sunday-Friday every week? If so that's 48 hours one week and 45 the next. That's an average of 46.5 hours. Take off a bit for daily unpaid lunch (6 x 45 minutes) and that would bring it down to 42 paid hours a week.

[Buenchico]

Lots of people still work 6-day weeks. The Working Hours Regulations state that (with a few exceptions) all adult workers are entitled to ONE uninterrupted 24-hour period of rest per week (or two per fortnight):
http://www.direct.gov...ndTimeOff/DG_10029451

It looks as if you'll be working 6 days per week with a total of 1 hour's unpaid rest break each day while you're on 'earlies' but just half-an-hour's unpaid break while on 'lates'. (Alternatively you might have 45 minutes break on both shifts; the figures would still add up).

Chris

[CW1]

Thanks everyone.

Yeah, that makes sense, factor 30 and Chris. Dammit.

I'd checked that link after I'd posted (picked it from another question) so I knew the guy who told me about the directive was wrong after all. And lcg76, no I haven't worked for the NHS, but I know where you're coming from - my last job was intense for 3 weeks with a week off in 4, but never actually got it 'cos the pay was crap and HAD to work overtime !

[steven87gill]

''days off! ha ha - you've obviously never worked in the nhs. i regularly do 70 hour weeks and work every day (cause my pay is so crap and i can't afford not to). it is what it is. read the small print and if you don't like the terms...don't take the job. simples x''

You'd be a broccoli union rep, i can tell you ;)

And i'm pretty sure the poster is/was looking for some friendly advice, not smarmy comments like this.

I know this is an old post, but i'm starting to get mightily sick of the ''if you don't like the job, leave'' or ''stop moaning, be grateful you have a job'' comments, sorry but that is just not an option for 99% of the public.

That's why we have employment law fools.

[THECORBYLOON]

I work Monday to Friday and have a forty-two hour per week contract but that includes a one-hour paid break each day so I need work only for thirty-seven hours each week.