Table 1:

Regulations and restrictions pertaining to resident duty hours in Canada and elsewhere

Country	National regulations		Duty hour restrictions
Canada	No	Work hours are currently regulated primarily through negotiated agreements between provincial residents’ associations and employers. In the future, work hours may also be regulated via residency accreditation mechanisms.	Variability in maximum hours worked per week (range 60–90 h) Limit of 24–26 hours of consecutive work - Exception Quebec (2011): limit of 16 hours of consecutive work Limit of in-house call once every 4 days, averaged over 4 weeks Limit of out-of-house call once every 3 days
United States	Yes	Regulations issued by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education	Limit of 80 hours of work per week, averaged over 4 weeks Limit of 24 hours of continuous work plus 6 hours for handover - For interns, limit of 16 hours of continuous work plus 4 hours for handover Limit of in-house call once every 3 days, averaged over 4 weeks
Europe	Yes	Resident duty hours regulated through the European Working Time Directive	Limit of 48 hours of work per week
New Zealand	Yes	Resident duty hours regulated through the Multi Employer Collective Agreement, in a manner similar to Canadian provinces	Limit of 72 hours of work per week Limit of 16 hours of continuous work Minimum time off between shifts of 8 hours, minimum every other weekend free of duty
Australia	No	Recommendations issued by the Australian Medical Association	Work in excess of 50 hours per week puts the resident at risk Work in excess of 70 hours per week puts the resident at “higher” risk