IELTS General Test – Passage 03: Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers reading answers explanation, location and pdf. This reading paragraph has been taken from our huge collection of Academic & General Training (GT) Reading practice test PDF’s.
Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers
These rules apply to drivers and crew of heavy goods vehicles or public service vehicles. The rules limit the amount of time that can be worked.
Those defined in the Regulations as being self-employed are currently not covered by the Regulations.
What are the limits?
• An average of 48 hours’ work per week.
• In any single week up to 60 hours can be worked so long as the 48-hour average is maintained.
• Night work is limited to 10 hours per night, unless there is a workforce agreement to work longer.
• Statutory annual leave and any sick leave and/or maternity/paternity leave counts as working time.
What counts as work?
In general, any activities performed in connection with the transport operation count as work, for example, driving, loading/unloading and those checks that are the responsibility of drivers, such as checking lights, brakes, etc. There are a number of periods of time that do not count as work, for example, travelling between home and your normal place of work, lunch or other breaks and periods of availability.
Periods of availability are periods of time during which the mobile worker is not required to remain at their workstation but is required to be available for work, the foreseeable duration of which is known about in advance, for example:
• Delays at a distribution centre.
• Reporting for work then being informed that no duties are to be undertaken for a specified period.
• Accompanying a vehicle being transported, for example by train.
A period of availability can be taken at the workstation. Providing the worker has a reasonable amount of freedom (e.g. they can read and relax) for a known duration. this could satisfy the requirements of a period of availability.
Situations when a period of time should not be recorded as a period of availability:
• Hold-ups due to congestion, because the driver would be stopping and starting the vehicle.
• Frequently moving up within a queue (e.g. waiting within a queue to load or unload) every other minute.
Questions 21—27
Complete the notes below
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 21-27 on your answer sheet.
Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers
These apply to people working on lorries, buses, etc.
They don‘t apply to (21)…………………….……………………………workers.
Maximum working hours: 60 hours a week, provided the (22) ……………………………..is no more than 48 hours.
Night work can be more than 10 hours with the (23) ……………………………..of the workers.
Work includes driving, loading and unloading, and carrying out various (24)…………………………………… of the vehicle.
Periods of availability include:
going on a (25)……………………………….or other form of transport with a vehicle
a period at the workstation when the driver has some (26) ………………….………………might count as a period of availability
Periods of availability exclude:
time spent stopping and starting the vehicle when (27) ………………………………causes delays being in a queue, e.g. in order to load or unload.
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Answers with Explanation
Check out Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers reading answers below:
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21. SELF-EMPLOYED
22. AVERAGE
23. AGREEMENT
24. CHECKS
25. TRAIN
26. FREEDOM
27. CONGESTION
Wondering how the answers are chosen?? Then, read Working Time Regulations for Mobile Workers reading answers explained below:
NOTES COMPLETION
| Question | Answer Explanation |
|---|---|
| They don‘t apply to (21)…………………….……………………………workers. | Underline keywords: apply to, lorries, buses, don’t apply to, workers In the paragraph 2, look at, “__Those defined in the Regulations as being self-employed are currently not covered by the Regulations.__” In this text, not covered by the Regulations means that ➙ don’t apply to Hence, the answer is going to be: self employed |
| Maximum working hours: 60 hours a week, provided the (22) ……………………………..is no more than 48 hours. | Underline keywords: maximum working hours, 60 hours a week, provided, no more than 48 hours Look at the 2nd bullet point in the ‘What are the limits’ section, it says, “In any single week, up to 60 hours can be worked so long as the 48-hour average is maintained___”. In this text, In any single week up to 60 hours means that ➙ 60 hours a week, & so long as means that ➙ provided & no more than 48 hours means that ➙ 48-hour average is maintained Hence, the answer is going to be: average |
| Night work can be more than 10 hours with the (23) ……………………………..of the workers. | Underline keywords: night work, more than 10 hours, with, of the workers Look at the 3rd bullet point of the ‘What are the limits’ section, “____Night work is limited to 10 hours per night, unless there is a workplace agreement to work longer.___” In this text, limited to 10 hours per night, unless means that ➙ can be more than 10 hours & agreement of the workers means that ➙ workplace agreement Hence, the answer is going to be: agreement |
| Work includes driving, loading and unloading, and carrying out various (24)…………………………………… of the vehicle. | Underline keywords: work includes, driving, loading and unloading, carrying out, various, of the vehicle Look at the ‘What counts as work?’ section, in the 1st paragraph, “___In general, any activities performed in connection with the transport operation count as work, for example, driving, loading/unloading, and those checks that are the responsibility of drivers, such as checking lights, brakes etc.____” In this text, checking lights, brakes etc. means that ➙ various checks Hence, the answer is going to be: checks |
| going on a (25)……………………………….or other form of transport with a vehicle | Underline keywords: period of availability, going on, or, other form of transport, with a vehicle Look at the ‘What counts as work?’ section, in the 2nd paragraph, “___Accompanying a vehicle being transported, for example by train.___” In this text, Accompanying means that ➙ going on Hence, the answer is going to be: train |
| a period at the workstation when the driver has some (26) ………………….………………might count as a period of availability | Underline keywords: a period at the workstation, when, the driver has, some, might count as, a period of availability Look at the ‘What counts as work?’ section, in the 3rd paragraph, “__A period of availability can be taken at the workstation. Providing the worker has a reasonable amount of freedom (e.g. they can read and relax) for a known duration, this could satisfy the requirements of a period of availability.__” In this text, Providing the worker has means that ➙ when the driver has & a reasonable amount of means that ➙ some Hence, the answer is going to be: freedom |
| time spent stopping and starting the vehicle when (27) ………………………………causes delays being in a queue, e.g. in order to load or unload. | Underline keywords: periods of availability exclude, time spent, stopping and starting, vehicle, when, causes delay, in a queue Look at the ‘What counts as work?’ section again, in the 4th paragraph, “__Situations when a period of time should not be recorded as a period of availability: Hold-ups due to congestion, because the driver would be stopping and starting the vehicle.__” In this text, should not be recorded as a period of availability means that ➙ Periods of availability exclude & Hold-ups means that ➙ delays, Hence, the answer is going to be: congestion |
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