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ARTICLE · 21 SEPTEMBER 2015

Mobile Workers' Travel Time Is "Working" Time

Nabarro LLP
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The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has decided that time spent by mobile workers travelling between their home and the customer's premises is considered "working time" for the purposes of the Working Time Directive...

European UnionEmployment and HR
Tracey Marsden
Tracey Marsden
Richard Brown
Richard Brown
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Summary and implications

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has decided that time spent by mobile workers travelling between their home and the customer's premises is considered "working time" for the purposes of the Working Time Directive (WTD) and therefore the UK's Working Time Regulations (WTR).

The case, Federacion de Servicios Privados del sindicato Comisiones Obreras v Tyco Integrated Security SL and another (C-266/14), involved a Spanish-based security system installation company which treated the first and last journey of the day made by its technicians, to and from their homes, as "rest time" under the WTD. The ECJ held that this travel was "working time" because the workers were carrying out their activities or duties and were "at the employer's disposal".

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