The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received 45 reports relating to alleged breaches of the Working Time Directive in 2022 to 2023, up 165% from 17 reports in 2021 to 2022.
According to research commissioned by employment law firm Littler, the trend looks set to continue, with a further 19 reports being received by the HSE in the first six weeks of its 2023/24 reporting period.
Alison Sneddon, senior counsel at Littler, said employers should maintain an open dialogue with their employees about working hours expectations and how any concerns may be raised internally.
She said: “The change in working arrangements and the rise in home working since the pandemic has made it increasingly important for employers to keep under review the most effective ways of communicating with employees.
“The HSE data is a welcome reminder of the importance of publicising to employees the internal channels by which employees may raise concerns or share feedback. This affords employers and employees the opportunity to resolve any concerns at an early stage internally, and hopefully avoid escalation to external regulators.”
