employment italy
Does Sunday work require a permit in Italy?
<p>One of the episodes of Top Gear (Series 18, Episode 1), where they're testing some supercars in Italy, involves them being stopped by the police officers.</p>

<p>The characters feared speeding; turns out, they were stopped for working on a Sunday without a permit!  <em>(Only in Italy!)</em></p>

<p>Is it true that you need some kind of a special permit to work on a Sunday in Italy?</p>

<p>P.S. Prompted by the comment in <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/411/do-you-need-to-obey-an-obstructed-traffic-sign">Do you need to obey an obstructed traffic sign?</a></p>

<p>Art.36, Italy's constitution:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Workers have the right to a remuneration commensurate to the quantity
and quality of their work and in any case such as to ensure them and
their families a free and dignified existence. Maximum daily working
hours are established by law. Workers have the right to a weekly rest
day and paid annual holidays. They cannot waive this right.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Italian Civil Code:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>All workers have the right to rest one day a week ( art.36 of the
Constitution) normally on Sunday (Sect. 2109 Civil Code ).</p>
<p>The 24 hour weekly rest period can be shifted only for special
activities, dealt with by Act  370/1934 ( article 5). Workers are
entitled to a compensatory rest.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Civil code and Legislative Decree No. 66 of 2003:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Core of working time regulation is Legislative Decree No. 66 of 2003,
implementing the European Directives 93/104/CE and 2000/34/CE, even if
important principles are still contained in a few norms of the Civil
Code (dated 1942), namely Article 2107, 2108 and 2019. Under Article 9
of Legislative Decree No. 66/2003 every worker is entitled, per each
seven-day period (calculated as an average on a time lapse no longer
than 14 days) to a minimum uninterrupted rest of 24 hours, as a rule
on Sunday, plus the 11 hours’ daily rest referred to in the above
mentioned Art. 7 (in other words, the two periods can’t overlap).
However, many exceptions are provided in this case too.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In short, while workers are entitled to (at least) a day of rest every 6 days of work, usually on Sundays, there are many exceptions to the rules, as long as at least one day of rest is guaranteed.</p>
<p>However, you don't need a permit to work on a Sunday.</p>
<p>(Note that municipal regulations might prevent local businesses in some cities from <em>opening to the public</em> on Sundays, e.g. restaurants, supermarkets, bars..)</p>
