Glossary

Collective Agreement

A collective agreement is a negotiated contract between an employer (or employers' group) and a trade union or worker representatives. It sets terms such as pay, working hours, overtime premiums, rest, and leave for the workers it covers.

How it works

  • It can improve on statutory minimums and, where the law allows, adjust default rules within limits.
  • Much of European working-time detail - overtime rates, reference periods, rest exceptions - is set here rather than in statute.
  • Two employers in the same country can operate under different specifics because of different agreements.

Why it matters

To know the real rules for a team, you often need the applicable agreement, not just the national law.

How Sandtime.io fits

Sandtime.io records hours and time off accurately, giving you dependable data to apply whatever pay and time rules your agreement sets.

A collective agreement can set overtime rates, define the reference period, and adjust annual leave above the statutory minimum.

Related Terms

Explore other time tracking and workforce management definitions.

Overtime

Hours worked beyond the standard workweek. Often subject to premium pay rates and labor law regulations.

Read more →

Reference Period

The window over which an average working-time limit is measured, so a busy week can be balanced by a lighter one within the average.

Read more →

Annual Leave

The paid holiday an employee is entitled to each year for rest, with a statutory minimum in most countries (at least four weeks under the EU directive).

Read more →