Normal working week

A reduced working week of 37 hours should be introduced subject to the reduction being achieved within existing overall costs of an employing authority in accordance with the NJC National Framework Agreements for manual and craft workers and following negotiations within that authority.

Any such agreement relating to a reduced working week is set out in Appendix 16 following ratification by the JNC. Where no agreement has been reached on a reduced working week the normal working week shall remain as 39 hours exclusive of meal times.

For shift workers the shifts shall be agreed locally to yield an average normal working week when calculated over the ordinary cycle.

Shift working is regarded as having a continuous manning aspect and thus no recognised meal break is given in the middle of the shift. Instead, and subject to the needs of the service, a shift worker will be granted a short time away from the job, if possible, during the middle of a shift.

Interpretation

Where, in this Article, the expression 'agreed locally' is used it shall be interpreted as meaning that a Department of Government or a Board of Tynwald or a Local Authority may, having regard to the needs of the service, seek to conclude an agreement with its employees' representatives providing for the manner in which the normal working week shall be distributed including such matters as starting and finishing times and meal breaks. Such an agreement may also provide, among other things, for the working week to be spread over any of the days of the week, including Saturday and/or Sunday.

_{Last Updated - February 2016}