European Court Rules That Time Traveling To Work Counts As Employee Hours

Employees caught in traffic on the way to the office or returning home would wish they were working within the European Union. The bloc's European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that worker's travel time from their home and back should be counted as employee hours.

However, it would only apply if the workers do not have a fixed workplace.  The landmark ruling was the result of a lawsuit in Span involving Tyco, a security systems firm, reports Independent.

The company abolished its regional office, leaving its employees without a fixed place where to perform their tasks as workers of the firm. The decision is expected to benefit workers such as electricians, gas fitters, care workers and sales representatives.

The court explains that the decision aims to protect the safety and health of workers. It ruled: "The fact that the workers begin and finish the journey at their homes stems directly from the decision of their employer to abolish the regional offices and not from the desire of the workers themselves."

It pointed out that requiring the workers to bear the burden of their employer's choice does not protect the health and safety of the workers, including guaranteeing them a minimum rest period cut short by the added travel time.

The impact of the decision is that companies in that situation must organize the work schedules of such kind of employees so that their first and last appointments are close to their residence, reports BBC. Among the objectives of the ruling is to ensure employees do not work beyond 48 hours a week.

The ruling is the envy of office workers outside the EU who travel long hours to and from their work places to their homes such as those in Manila, Philippines because of extreme traffic. Many shared the news on social media along with their hope that it would also happen to them. Because of the usual gridlock worsened by bad weather, it takes Metro Manila employees an average of three hours to reach their work places and about the same time, or even longer, to go home.