Working Time Regulations

6. Enforcement

6.1 The working time limits are enforced by the health and safety authorities.

• This is usually the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) for factories and the local authority for offices, shops and so on.

6.2 Entitlements to rest periods, breaks and leave are enforced by employment tribunals and the county court system.

6.3 In practice, you are most likely to run into problems if an employee complains.

6.4 Penalties for breaches of the regulations can be high.

• Breaches of working time limits can lead to improvement notices being issued. Subsequent failure to comply can lead to unlimited fines and imprisonment.
• Employment tribunals can order appropriate compensation payments (limited to £66,200 where there has been an unfair dismissal).