Part I presents a review of working time, employment and protection, which discusses the relationship between the length and arrangement of working time and employment preservation or creation. It emphasizes that social protection, especially in a time of uncertainty and flexibility, is paramount and that employment is not the sole reason to advocate changes in working time.

Part II contains a short summary of current trends in working time and 16 country studies from the different regions of the world. The studies illustrate how working time issues have evolved over the years, and how current law and practice determine hours of work for different categories of workers in the countries concerned. They also include information on normal hours of work, overtime and absolute maximum hours, rest periods, shop-opening hours, public holidays, paid annual leave and other types of leave, and, in some cases, shift and night work.

Part III consists of four sets of tables containing the basic legal provisions of 151 countries, which are preceded by a summary of the main findings. The first table covers normal hours of work, paid annual leave and public holidays. The second table focuses on overtime restrictions, premium pay and compensatory time off. The third table gives the provisions for rest periods during the working day, between working days and between working weeks. The fourth table mentions those countries that provide for special types of leave, be it for personal reasons, civic duties, religious reasons or others. A complete list of the legal sources containing the provisions cited is also provided.