http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2003/119Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003Working time regulationsOvertimeHours of workEmployment terms and conditionsBusiness practice and regulationEMPLOYMENTStatute Law Database2024-06-26Expert Participation2016-02-28 These Regulations amend provisions of the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, primarily in order to implement certain provisions of Council Directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work (O.J. No. L216, 20.8.94 p. 12). The provisions in question restrict the working time of adolescents – those aged between 15 and 18 who are over compulsory school age, referred to as “young workers” – and the circumstances in which they may work during night-time. 2003 No. 119<Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">EMPLOYMENT</Repeal><Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003</Repeal>Made28th February 2003Coming into operation6th April 2003The Department for Employment and Learning, being a Department designated for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 in relation to measures relating to the organisation of working time and measures relating to the employment of children and young persons, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by the said section 2(2) and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations: <Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">Citation and commencement</Repeal>1These Regulations may be cited as the Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 6th April 2003.<Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">Interpretation</Repeal>21The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.2In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.<Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">Amendment of the </Repeal><Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">principal Regulations</Repeal>3The principal Regulations shall be amended in accordance with regulations 4 to 21.4In regulation 2(2) (interpretation), the following definition shall be inserted after the definition of “rest period” –“the restricted period”, in relation to a worker, means the period between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or, where the worker’s contract provides for him to work after 10 p.m., the period between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.;.5In regulation 3 (general) –abefore “The”, there shall be inserted “(1)”, andbthe following paragraph shall be inserted after paragraph (1) (as created by paragraph (a)) –2Where, in this Part, separate provision is made as respects the same matter in relation to workers generally and to young workers, the provision relating to workers generally applies only to adult workers and those young workers to whom, by virtue of any exception in Part III, the provision relating to young workers does not apply..6In paragraph (c) of regulation 4(7) (“excluded days” for the purpose of calculating average weekly working time), after “maternity” there shall be inserted “paternity, adoption or parental”.7The following regulation shall be inserted after regulation 5 –<Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">Maximum working time for young workers</Repeal>5A1A young worker’s working time shall not exceed –aeight hours a day, orb40 hours a week.2If, on any day, or, as the case may be, during any week, a young worker is employed by more than one employer, his working time shall be determined for the purpose of paragraph (1) by aggregating the number of hours worked by him for each employer.3For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), a week starts at midnight between Sunday and Monday.4An employer shall take all reasonable steps, in keeping with the need to protect the health and safety of workers, to ensure that the limits specified in paragraph (1) are complied with in the case of each worker employed by him in relation to whom they apply..8Regulation 6(6) (normal working hours for employees entitled to overtime pay) shall be omitted.9The following regulation shall be inserted after regulation 6 –<Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">Night work by young workers</Repeal>6AAn employer shall ensure that no young worker employed by him works during the restricted period..10In regulation 7(2) (entitlement of young worker to health assessment before assignment to night work), for “the period between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. (“the restricted period”)” there shall be substituted “the restricted period”.11In regulation 9 (records showing whether regulations are complied with) –aafter “4(1)” in paragraph (a) there shall be inserted “, 5A(1)”, andbbefore “7(1)” in that paragraph there shall be inserted “6A and”.12In regulation 10(1) (entitlement to daily rest period), for “An adult worker” there shall be substituted “A worker”.13In regulation 11(1), (2) and (7) (entitlement to weekly rest period), for “an adult worker” there shall be substituted “a worker”.14In regulation 12 (entitlement to rest breaks) –afor “an adult worker's” in paragraph (1) there shall be substituted “a worker's”, andbfor “an adult worker” in paragraph (2) there shall be substituted “a worker”.15In regulation 19 (regulations not applying to domestic service) –aafter “4(1) and (2)” there shall be inserted “, 5A(1) and (4),” andbafter “6(1), (2) and (7),” there shall be inserted “6A,”.16In regulation 25 (young workers in the armed forces) –aafter “Regulations” in paragraph (2) there shall be inserted “5A, 6A,” andbin paragraph (3) for “a period which would otherwise be a rest period,” there shall be substituted “the restricted period, or is not permitted the minimum rest period provided for in regulation 10(2) or 11(3),”.17In regulation 26 (young workers employed on ships), after “Regulations” there shall be inserted “5A, 6A,”.18In regulation 27 (young workers: force majeure) both –aafter “Regulations” in paragraph (1) andbafter “regulation” in paragraph (2),there shall be inserted “5A, 6A,”.19The following regulation shall be inserted after regulation 27 –<Repeal ChangeId="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4-1719327133758" CommentaryRef="key-10a9a7d952a12a7267f58623d02b3df4" RetainText="true">Other exceptions relating to young workers</Repeal>27A1Regulation 5A does not apply in relation to a young worker where –athe young worker’s employer requires him to undertake work which is necessary either to maintain continuity of service or production or to respond to a surge in demand for a service or product;bno adult worker is available to perform the work, andcperforming the work would not adversely affect the young worker’s education or training.2Regulation 6A does not apply in relation to a young worker employed –ain a hospital or similar establishment, orbin connection with cultural, artistic, sporting or advertising activities,in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (1).3Regulation 6A does not apply, except in so far as it prohibits work between midnight and 4 a.m., in relation to a young worker employed in –aagriculture;bretail trading;cpostal or newspaper deliveries;da catering business;ea hotel, public house, restaurant, bar or similar establishment, orfa bakeryin the circumstances referred to in paragraph (1).4Where the application of regulation 6A is excluded by paragraph (2) or (3), and a young worker is accordingly required to work during a period which would otherwise be a rest period or rest break –ahe shall be supervised by an adult worker where such supervision is necessary for the young worker’s protection, andbhe shall be allowed an equivalent period of compensatory rest..20In regulation 28(1) (enforcement), in paragraph (a) of the definition of “the relevant requirements” –aafter “4(2),” there shall be inserted “5A(4),”;bafter “6(2) and (7),” there shall be inserted “6A,” andc for “and 9” there shall be substituted “, 9 and 27A(4)(a)”.21In sub-paragraph (a)(iii) of paragraph (1) of regulation 30 (remedies) for “or 27(2)” there shall be substituted “, 27(2) or 27A(4)(b)”.Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Employment and Learning on 28th February 2003.R. B. GambleA senior officer of theDepartment for Employment and Learning (This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend provisions of the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, primarily in order to implement certain provisions of Council Directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work (O.J. No. L216, 20.8.94 p. 12). The provisions in question restrict the working time of adolescents – those aged between 15 and 18 who are over compulsory school age, referred to as “young workers” – and the circumstances in which they may work during night-time.

Regulation 7 inserts a new regulation 5A into the 1998 Regulations, limiting the working time of young workers to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week and requiring employers to ensure that these limits are complied with. Regulation 9 inserts a new regulation 6A, which requires employers to ensure that no young worker works during a restricted period. This is defined in an amendment provided for in regulation 4 as the period between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., or, in a case where the worker is contracted to work after 10 p.m., the period between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Regulations 5 and 10 make consequential changes.

The new working time and night working restrictions are subject to various exceptions, relating to particular occupations and particular circumstances, provided for in amendments to the 1998 Regulations set out in regulations 11–19; there is an entitlement to compensatory rest where the night work restrictions are excluded. Regulation 20 makes the obligations on employers “relevant requirements” for the purposes of the 1998 Regulations; the effect of this is that the obligations are enforceable by the Health and Safety Executive and that failure to comply is an offence. Regulation 21 makes an employer’s refusal to permit a young worker to exercise the entitlement to compensatory rest a matter that may be the subject of a complaint to an industrial tribunal.

The Regulations also include two amendments to the 1998 Regulations that are unrelated to Council Directive 94/33/EC. Regulation 6 amends the definition of “excluded days”, a term used in the formula for calculating a worker’s average weekly working time, so as to include periods of paternity, adoption or parental leave. Regulation 8 revokes a provision excluding overtime from the calculation of a night worker’s normal hours of work in certain cases.

 1972 c. 68 S.I. 1997/1174 S.I. 1996/266 1954 c. 33 (N.I.) S.R. 1998 No. 386 as amended by S.R. 1998 No. 422, S.R. 1999 No. 133, S.R. 2000 No. 7 and S.R. 2002 No. 93 Regulations revoked with savings (28.2.2016) by The Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/49), reg. 54(1)(f) (with regs. 22(1), 54(2)(3))