The EU Working Time Directive – What UK Care Providers Need to Know

For many UK organisations, especially children’s homes and supported accommodation services operating across multiple regions or using agency staff, understanding international labour standards is becoming increasingly important.

If your organisation employs staff in EU member states, you may still have responsibilities under the European Working Time Directive (EWTD).

At Mentor, we help care providers stay compliant, organised, and confident in their workforce management. With free, unlimited access to Croner’s HR and legal experts for every Mentor customer, you can get specialist advice whenever you need clarity or reassurance.

Here’s a clear breakdown of how the EWTD works, when it applies, and what UK employers, especially those with international operations, need to know in 2025.

What Is the EU Working Time Directive?

The EU Working Time Directive is a piece of European legislation designed to protect employee health, safety, and wellbeing. First introduced in 2003 and updated in 2019, it sets out minimum standards for:

• Maximum weekly working hours
• Rest breaks
• Night working limits
• Daily and weekly rest
• Annual leave entitlement
• Accurate time-tracking requirements

Although the UK withdrew from the EU in 2020, the Directive still applies if you employ staff working within EU countries.

Croner explains that “employers must accurately record employees’ working hours, including overtime, to protect staff from excessive hours and insufficient rest.”

For children’s homes, where staff often work varied shifts, nights, sleep-ins or split patterns, these rules become even more important. Without accurate time recording, it’s easy for teams to go over safe limits without realising.

Key Requirements Under the EU Working Time Directive

The Directive sets out specific rights for workers in EU member states. These include:

48-hour weekly limit

A worker cannot exceed an average of 48 hours per week over a 4, 6, or 12-month reference period. Overtime counts toward this limit.

Rest breaks

Any worker working more than 6 hours must receive a rest break.

Night work protections

Night workers, including waking night staff in children’s homes, must not exceed 8 hours in a 24-hour period.

Daily rest

Employees must receive 11 hours of uninterrupted rest in every 24-hour period.

Weekly rest

Employees are entitled to 24 hours of rest, in addition to their daily rest period, each week.

Paid annual leave

All workers must receive 4 weeks of paid leave per year.

These protections are mandatory in all EU member states, though each country may layer additional requirements on top.

The Latest Rules for Employers to Track Working Hours Accurately

In 2019, the European Court of Justice strengthened employer obligations by ruling that every organisation must implement a system to record daily working hours, including overtime.
The aim was to reduce unrecorded extra hours and prevent burnout, safety risks, and unpaid work.

This ruling made accurate, auditable time-tracking essential for any employer with staff in EU countries.

Does the Directive Apply to UK Care Services?

If your organisation operates solely within the UK, the EU Working Time Directive does not apply. Instead, your obligations fall under the UK Working Time Regulations (WTR).

However, if you:

• Employ staff in EU member states
• Operate services across borders
• Contract workers based in the EU
• Manage remote staff working in EU jurisdictions

…then you may still need to comply with the Directive’s requirements.

Croner summarises this clearly “If your business has employees working in EU member states, then you are bound under the terms of the European Working Time Directive, including accurately tracking hours.”

What Should UK Organisations Do Next?

In children’s services, where staffing levels directly impact safeguarding, team wellbeing and inspection outcomes, leadership teams should be especially proactive in reviewing shift patterns and rest arrangements. 

If you operate in multiple countries, or plan to expand, now is the time to check your compliance position. This includes:

• Reviewing your current time-tracking methods
• Ensuring rest breaks and rota patterns comply with local law
• Checking the status of EU-based staff
• Auditing overtime and working hours
• Ensuring you have clear written processes

If you’re unsure where to start, the easiest option is to speak to an expert.

Free HR & Legal Support From Croner for All Mentor Customers

Every Mentor customer can access complimentary access to Croner, including:

• Award-winning HR advice
• Health & Safety guidance
• Employment law support
• Commercial and GDPR queries
• Templates, reviews and documentation checks
• Unlimited call access for managers and leaders

As a Mentor customer, you get free access to Croner’s expert advice line and preferential rates on full Croner services, giving you trusted support when you need it.

Mentor V3 brings all your workforce management tools into one place; ideal for children’s homes and supported accommodation services running 24/7 shifts, multiple sites and complex rota patterns.

Need clarity on how the Working Time Directive Affects Your Organisation?

If you need clarity on how the EU Working Time Directive or the UK Working Time Regulations apply to your organisation, our team is here to help. Mentor gives providers clear, consistent oversight across rotas, shifts and timekeeping, with tools designed for busy residential and supported accommodation services.

If you choose Mentor, you’ll gain exclusive, free access to  Croner’s award-winning HR, legal and safety experts, giving you specialist support whenever you need it.

If you want to see how Mentor can help you run safer children’s services, speak to our UK team for a custom demo tailored to residential and supported accommodation services.

Speak to our UK team today and get a personalised demo tailored to your service.