Advice on working hours?

might be time to look elsewhere. I don't know about the rules where you live but I believe here, if you work over 40 hours week, you get Overtime and with this economy, not many people want to pay extra for OT. So he should be working up to eight hours. The routes he take should be documented of how many miles it took to go from here to there. Are they short staffed? Is he getting OT? Contact the Labor Board if you have one and ask them. They can tell you what his rights are. Might have to file a complaint if that is what he want to do.

Yes there are rules and driving in such a way is illegal and wreckless. He should be having a break every hour by law and cannot drive more than ten hours in any 24hr period by law.

However he should be thankful of a job even if the hours and pay is crap in the current economy. He could whistleblow or force his employers hand, but he is likely to lose his job if he does that.

It really is a hard call, I would suggest he has a word with the fleet manager and "advise" him of the legality.

PS: Jan, I thought I made it clear I lived in the UK? It isnt so much a source to back up claims.

Included below however are links because I didnt explain indepth rest periods, EU legislation has made that overly complicated. On driving hours it is illegal.

Although the pay rate might seem illegal, you cant use that against an employer in a salaried position, many have tried! The jobcentre for instance still offers jobs below the minimum wage.

It's a common trick with employers, hire you on a salary basis on X amount of contracted hours, then extend the contracted hours off paper. If you take it to court, it will be a case of proving you worked extra hours beyond that on the contract, then even if you can, since you complied, it will be seen as a voluntary act. The law isnt as airtight as some may think. I have experience of sitting in employment tribunuals and have seen this happen many times.

Anyway at the end of the day, a job is still a job, be thankful to be earning any money! If the question raiser can find a better job elsewhere, go for it, but many are struggling to even earn a few pounds, it really depends on your location.

A further tip for the husband concerned, although you are legally allowed time off for job interviews, I would advise he doesnt tell his employer and instead uses sick allowance. To a potential employer, ask them not to contact his current or not give them details.

The reason is because although he is entitled to look for another job, some businesses, especially stretched ones, have a way of making an employees life a misery when they start looking elsewhere.

Anyway links on breaks and different scenarios:

http://www.drivinghorseboxes.co.uk/driving_eu_driv...

http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/workplac...

(may be confusing, but explained far better than the EU directive pdf.)

For a start these people that are saying he should just be grateful to have a job a completely wrong.

It is attitudes like this that allow employers to treat people like dirt and get away with it. Yes times are tough the climate is crap and jobs are hard to come by but that is no reason for your husband to put his life at risk by driving these unreasonable hours.

And don't forget if your husband has a crash or or god forbid hurts someone or himself, it is his license (and life) on the line not the companies.

See the sites below for more advice and get your husband to join a TU if there is one

If you are in the UK that is totally illegal

Off course there are Health and Safety regulations for drivers and his company will have them

Also his wage per hour is illegal in the UK

He needs to seek professional advice from Citizens Advice for starters or look online for the driving regulations ..