Home » Legal developments » European legislation » EU: a stand-by period is only considered working time in its entirety if during it the employer significantly constrains the worker’s ability to manage his/her free time EU: a stand-by period is only considered working time in its entirety if during it the employer significantly constrains the worker’s ability to manage his/her free time On 09 March the CJEU handed down two rulings affirming that a period of stand-by duty can constitute working time in its entirety only when the constraints imposed on the worker very significantly affect his or her ability to manage his or her free time during that period. These constraints however must result from the employer's instructions and the Luxembourg judges have provided some new indications to help national judges assess the level of ‘intensity’ of such constraints. Through . Published on 10 March 2021 à 12h47 - Update on 10 March 2021 à 16h58 Resources Case C-344/19 concerned a specialist technician responsible for ensuring the operation, for several consecutive days, of television transmission centres situated in the mountains in Slovenia. In addition to his 12 hours of normal work, he was on also on stand-by for six hours a day. During these periods, he was not obliged to stay at the transmission center concerned but had to be reachable by telephone and able to return to work within one hour if necessary. Case C-580/19 concerned a public official carried out activities as a firefighter in the town of Offenbach am Main (Germany) and in addition to his regular service hours,… Need more info ? Contact mind's on-demand study service Which service do you want to contact :WritingCommercial serviceTechnical SupportFirst name Last name Organization Function email* Object of the message Your messageRGPD J’accepte la politique de confidentialité.NameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Essentials Les dernières publications Supporting parenthood in the workplace: a win-win strategy Supporting employee carers: a CSR challenge Analyzes Les dernières publications Paternity leave: data observations from 41 countries EU: during H1 2022 five EU Member States have raised their minimum salary levels