Editing Working time (section)

=== Europe ===
In most European Union countries, working time is gradually decreasing.<ref name="stats.oecd.org">{{cite web|author=OECD |url=http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=ANHRS |title=Average annual hours actually worked per worker |publisher=Stats.oecd.org |access-date=2014-07-14}}</ref> The [[European Union]]'s [[working time directive]] imposes a 48-hour maximum working week that applies to every member state except [[Malta]] (which have an opt-out, meaning that employees in Malta may work longer than 48 hours if they wish, but they cannot be forced to do so).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029426 |title=Working time limits (the 48-hour week) : Directgov – Employment |publisher=Direct.gov.uk |date=2009-08-01 |access-date=2011-01-31}}</ref> A major reason for the lower annual hours worked in Europe is a relatively high amount of paid annual leave.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/papers/No_Holidays.pdf |title=No-vacation nation USA – a comparison of leave and holiday in OECD countries – Page 2, Paragraph 1 – Introduction}}</ref> Fixed employment comes with four to six weeks of holiday as standard.

==== France ====
France experimented in 2000 with a sharp cut of legal or statutory working time of the employees in the private and public sector from 39 hours a week to 35 hours a week, with the stated goal to fight against rampant unemployment at that time. The Law 2000–37 on working time reduction is also referred to as the Aubry Law, according to the name of the Labor Minister at that time.
Employees may (and do) work more than 35 hours a week, yet in this case firms must pay them overtime bonuses. If the bonus is determined through collective negotiations, it cannot be lower than 10%. If no agreement on working time is signed, the legal bonus must be of 25% for the first 8 hours, then goes up to 50% for the rest.
Including overtime, the maximum working time cannot exceed 48 hours per week, and should not exceed 44 hours per week over 12 weeks in a row. 
In France the labor law also regulates the minimum working hours: part-time jobs should not allow for less than 24 hours per week without a branch collective agreement. These agreements can allow for less, under tight conditions.
According to the official statistics (DARES),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dares.travail-emploi.gouv.fr/dares-etudes-et-statistiques/statistiques-de-a-a-z/article/la-duree-individuelle-du-travail|title=La durée individuelle du travail - Ministère du Travail|website=dares.travail-emploi.gouv.fr|access-date=Jul 28, 2019}}</ref> after the introduction of the law on working time reduction, actual hours per week performed by full-time employed, fell from 39.6 hours in 1999, to a trough of 37.7 hours in 2002, then gradually went back to 39.1 hours in 2005. In 2016 working hours were of 39.1.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

==== United Kingdom ====
The maximum working week in the United Kingdom is 48 hours a week on average, which is typically averaged over 17 weeks. Workers have the choice of opting out of the 48-maximum week. There also exceptions to the maximum working week including – but not limited to – being in the armed forces, emergency services or police.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours |title= Maximum weekly working hours |website= gov.uk |access-date= 13 December 2023}}</ref> This was established in 1998 by the [[Working Time Regulations 1998]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Understanding the Working Time Regulations |url= https://www.acas.org.uk/working-time-rules |work= Acas |access-date= 13 December 2023}}</ref>