When any of us start a new job or read the terms of employment one of the first things we will enquire about is the number of working hours we will be agreeing to complete. For some employees this may mean agreeing to working in shifts whilst for others more regular nine to five hours will be required.

As employers it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees receive sufficient breaks and only work the correct number of hours allowed and this is especially important with regards to fleet management companies whose employees spend most of the working hours behind the wheel of a vehicle.

As of the 1st October 1998, the European Union implemented the Working Time Directive or Regulations after it found severe health problems amongst employees from all business and industrial sectors caused or in relation to, long working hours. Although many health problems were found amongst workers, significant numbers were found to be twice as likely to have heart attacks after working for more than 48 hours a week.

Given the fact that the UK currently has the longest working hours in Europe and with over 2.7 million UK workers usually working over the recommended 48 hours per week, the Working Time Directive (WTD) has had a significant impact on UK residents. With relation to fleet companies and mobile workers the WTD is even more vital given that over work and fatigue combined with a vehicle has the potential to cause a great deal of harm.

Numerous studies and indeed road traffic accident logs have shown that worker fatigue has a definite effect on employee performance and safety whilst at work as well as demonstrating a decrease in productivity levels. Alongside new ?Duty of Care? legislation and the Corporate Manslaughter Act, the Working Time Directive is going a long way to keeping more workers safe whilst at work.

With employers now taking greater steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees at work, many fleet management companies have utilised GPS tracking technologies to help them regulate and keep track of the hours employees are working. For fleet managers this means that they can neutralize the risk of one of their drivers having an accident due to fatigue when behind the wheel of a company vehicle.

The sophisticated capabilities of modern vehicle tracking systems enable managers to monitor their fleets either through a web based system or through bespoke tracking software. Every element of a vehicles journey can now be tracked from its speed and direction, to the amount of fuel it is using and the style in which it is being driven.

In terms of the WTD this is a very useful and necessary feature as companies can see exactly when a vehicle is idle or stationary, allowing them to ensure that a driver is taking the correct rest breaks. Is also provides a ?fly on the wall? view of how their vehicles are being driven and note any erratic or harsh driving styles as these may indicate driver irritation, which may be a result of fatigue.

In essence, then ?Big Brother? vehicle tracking systems are not just for providing directions and cutting journey times but they are also useful tools that can help keep you and your employees safe on the road. Combined with advanced mobile worker applications your staff will never be out of reach allowing you to be fully compliant with your legal responsibilities, including the Working Time Directive. For more details about GPS tracking devices and what the technology can do for you click here.