“The compromise proposal, on the basis of which an agreement was reached, offers necessary protection for employees and flexibility in terms of organization of working hours,” said the Slovenian Minister of Labor, Marjeta Cotman, whose country holds the quarterly EU Presidency, after a meeting of Labor Ministers of the 27 EU member states.
The decision favors employers, and one of the sectors in which companies stand to gain the most is construction. “This directive is a positive one for us, because we want our employees to be able to work more,” said Sorin Greu, General Manager of the Bog’art construction company.
On the other hand, the EU measure is not good news for employees, who could react by diminishing productivity, according to Irina Manolescu, CEO of Career Solutions International human resource advisory company. “The directive is good news for employers, who will no longer be obliged to pay overtime. However, it is possible that one of the effects of this measure will be a drop in employee efficiency. There can a lack of motivation if employees are no longer paid for overtime,” added Irina Manolescu. In Romania, the financial factor is still very important, she explained.
