Commercial firms are willing to break the law in a bid to sidestep the EU working time directive. The revelation comes as firms compete to exploit a continued boom in work, according to the first Legal Week/Axxia Business Confidence Survey.

Half the 100 leading firms surveyed have asked or intend to ask their assistants to opt out of the directive, while one in four said the partnership prospects of those who refused would be impaired – a move which would amount to discrimination.