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OTHER STAFF
Page 15
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P Warehouse workers, office staff and mechanics will be covered by another piece of working time legislation—the horizontal directive. This will apply from 1 August 2003, and limits working time to 48 hours over a rolling four-month period, or six months. However, an opt-out is available and companies can enter into a specific agreement with their staff.
Under the opt-out, the maximum weekly working time can be extended if a worker agrees In writing—but this must be agreed with individuals. It can be for a specific time or unlimited, but there has to be a provision for ending the agreement, with a minimum notice period of seven days and a maximum of three months. However. KirkbrIght warns that the opt-out provision is to be reviewed by the European Commission In 2003, and he says this makes the future of the opt-out clause uncertain.