Cyprus-Forum.com

[larnacajoy]

Hi all, nice forum you got here. Wish i'd come sooner

My question to you, if you can help me is this: How many hours can my employer ask me to work per week?

My issue is that I work 10 hours per day and this includes a one hour break from 1-2pm. So I'm working 9 hours plus 1 hour break per day.

I've looked up the laws on the subject and they are unclear and vague. I always thought it was 38, but I've read that they can be up to 44. Does this include a break? Are breaks included in a persons working hours?

I'm going to be honest with you here. I'm not happy with my work/life balance. It seams that i work too much and I have no time left for me. I worked out that I have about 4 hours free per day and this isn't enough for me. I know I should be happy that I have work but to be honest I would rather die than spend the next 30 years of my life devoted to making other people money while doing something I hate doing (namely purchasing for a retail company).

Thanks for your replies. Hope to meet some interesting people here

[SKI-preo]

your boss can ask you to work 48 hours/week :

http://www.europejobfinder.org/index.ph ... -time.html

Maximum weekly working time
Subject to any other Laws or Regulations providing for more favourable arrangements for workers, working time in any week may not exceed 48 hours on average, including overtime. The reference period for calculating the average weekly working time is set over a period of four months. Periods of paid annual leave and sick leave are not taken into consideration in estimating the average weekly working time. In case an employer requests from an employee to work longer than 48 hours on average (over the 4 month reference period), this is only possible following the employee’s consent. The employee is not subjected to any adverse consequences by his/her employer if he/she does not accept to perform such work. In case, following the employee’s consent, the maximum weekly working time (48 hours) is exceeded, the employer should:

keep up to date records with the names of employees engaged in such work
make these records available to the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance with all details of the employees and their consent (if requested) to engage in work exceeding 48 hours weekly.

The Minister may restrict or prohibit the possibility of exceeding the maximum weekly working hours for reasons of health and/or safety of the employees involved.

[Get Real!]

How many hours should I be working?

Visit the address in the link below and ASK for the latest legislation:

http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/mlsi.nsf/fa ... enDocument

[larnacajoy]

So what you're saying is that the working week of 38 hours (which I thought was law) does not apply? Does the 48 hours your are talking about include breaks or do these fall under "personal time" for employees which are then not included in the 48 hours?

[GreekIslandGirl]

Did you not agree your terms and conditions, hours etc before taking up employment?

Breaks aren't usually included in your maximum work-hours but usually you should be allowed a 15 minute rest for every 4 hours worked (it might have gone up to 5 now with the relaxing of EU employment laws to allow slavery to re-emerge).

[larnacajoy]

no i signed a contract a few weeks after but by that time it was too late. you dont get offered a job and then bitch about working hours. if it was a healthy job market maybe but not now.

What i'm basically looking to find out is if the 38 hour week is law or if the 48 hour week is law? Which one of the two is the working week for employees in Cyprus?

[supporttheunderdog]

No 38 hours is not law: I work (at least) 40 plus one hour minimum lunch break which is NOT a part of working time..
The main requirement seems to be that it is no m re than 48 hours, where a worker is allowed a 15 minute break if his working day is more than 6 hours .

[CBBB]

It is very easy, if you don't like it, quit!

[RichardB]

Basically what STUD says is correct

Under current EU Regulation you may be asked to work up to 48 hours per week

If your employer requires you to work more than this then you must sign a form (voluntarily) opting out of the European Working Time Directive.

Under Current legislation you do not have to work more than 48 Per week ..But if your employer requires that then hey ho its up to you to decide what to do !

[RichardB]

Sorry I should add that the 48Hrs is the max you can be asked to work without opting out

EU countries can set a lower maximum limit , as I believe is the case in France with I think 37 hours (i stand to be corrected)

I do not know if Cyprus has set a lower limit