Glossary

Reference Period

A reference period is the window over which an average working-time limit is measured. Instead of capping every single week, the law often caps the average week across a set number of weeks or months.

How it works

The EU 48-hour weekly limit is usually averaged over 17 weeks (longer by agreement).
Germany averages the daily cap over 6 months; the UK opt-out and offshore work use different windows.
A busy week can be balanced by a lighter one, as long as the average stays within the limit.

Why it matters

Compliance is judged on the average, so you need accurate records across the whole period, not just a snapshot of one week.

How Sandtime.io fits

Sandtime.io keeps a continuous, reviewable record of hours, so an average over any working-time records window is easy to check.

A reference period frames the overtime and rest limits, interacts with the opt-out, and relies on complete working-time records.

Overtime

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

Working Time Opt-Out

A voluntary, written agreement in which a worker accepts that a maximum-hours limit does not apply to them, best known from the UK 48-hour weekly opt-out.

Rest Period

The minimum uninterrupted time off guaranteed between shifts and each week, such as 11 hours of daily rest and around 35 hours of weekly rest in the EU.

Working-Time Records in Poland

Working-time records are the ongoing logs of hours worked by each employee, distinct from the registration system or process that produces them.