It would appear British businesses aren't - the European Commission (EC) has won its case against the British Government, which it took to court claiming it was violating the Working Time Directive rules.

Britain negotiated an opt-out of the maximum 48-hour working week, but legally firms have to abide by the rules setting out the daily and weekly rest-break entitlements. These are:

• A minimum gap of 11 hours between working days.
• A weekend break of at least one day and 11 hours.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) got it in the neck because its guidelines to employers say they must advise staff they "can" take their rest, not "must" take it, so the EC successfully argued that the DTI was promoting a policy of non-compliance, Ananova reported.