Bond Pearce

In an important and helpful decision for employers, the Supreme Court has today decided that offshore workers can be required to take their holiday during their onshore breaks.  In Russell and others v Transocean International Resources Ltd and others, the employees worked on offshore oil and gas installations and worked a pattern of two weeks offshore followed by two weeks onshore (known as a "field break").  They therefore worked 26 weeks out of every 52 and were paid for 52 weeks.  They were mainly free from work-related obligations during the whole of their field breaks.

Under the Working Time Regulations, an employer can require a worker to take annual leave on particular days.  The issue in this case was whether the field breaks onshore should count towards the employees' annual leave.