When the Directive was implemented in the UK, regulation 13 originally stated "four weeks" but many employers only gave their workers four five-day periods of leave (i.e. 20 days).

[7] However, this confusion led to the argument that the UK had gone beyond the minimum standards required by the Working Time Directive 2003, even though no country in the EU has a right to fewer holidays than 28 days.

Regulations 4–5 set a default rule that workers may work no more than 48 hours per week and employers are required to do everything reasonable to ensure limits are not broken.

Moreover, "autonomous workers", which according to the UK's Health and Safety Executive, following European Union interpretation and case law, are defined as those with "total control" of both the duration and scheduling of work, are also excluded.

[9] Cases listed below that are not between UK-based parties are decisions of the European Court of Justice that bind the UK in the operation of the Working Time Directive and consequently the Regulations.