Standard hours in Germany
Monday to Saturday are considered the legal working days, but most employees typically work from Monday to Friday.
Workdays usually start between8-9 amand finish between5-6 pm. Lunch breaks are 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Maximum Working Hours & Overtime Laws in Germany
Working hours should not exceed 8 hours daily. They can be extended to 10 hours daily as long as the weekly hours are not more than 48.
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Overtime compensation
Germany does not have regulations on overtime compensation that entitles employees to overtime pay. If there are no other employment contract provisions, overtime has to be compensated with the regular salary.
The employment contract can state that a certain amount of overtime (up to 15% of the regular working time) is compensated with the regular monthly salary. In this case, employers only have to pay overtime above this amount. If the compensation exceeds the contribution ceiling in the pension insurance, the entire overtime may be compensated by the regular monthly salary, which should be indicated on the contract.
Sunday working
Working on Sundays or public holidays is generally prohibited, with a few exceptions. If an employee does work, the employer must compensate the employee with corresponding time off within the following two weeks for working on Sunday or eight weeks for working during a public holiday.
Break rights
The employer must guarantee an uninterrupted rest period of at least 11 hours between workdays.
Shifts that are between 6-9 hours come with one 30-minute break or two 15-minute breaks. There should be a minimum 45-minute break after the first six hours for shifts longer than nine hours.
The working hours of pregnant women or nursing mothers, as well as employees or trainees under 18 years of age, cannot be extended beyond eight hours.
Night workers
Night work is only allowed for 8 hours per working day. It can be increased to 10 hours, provided the employee's average shift duration in the following month doesn't exceed eight hours. The employer must grant the night worker an appropriate number of paid days off for hours worked during the night time or a suitable supplement to their salary to which they are entitled.
Employee Time Tracking Obligations
From 2023, employers are obliged to record the beginning and end of an employee's daily working hours.It is no longer sufficient to provide a system merely as an option. The employer must verify that the employee actually records their working hours. While mandatory, the form in which it takes place isn't specified and could happen both digitally or manually. According to the Federal Labor Court that will depend on the circ*mstances of the individual case, such as the industry, the size of the company, the specific employee group, etc.
Penalties
Employers may be fined up to€15,000if they are not complying with working time documentation. However, such fines are very rare. German authorities rarely verify compliance.
As for the new ECJ ruling, it remains to be seen whether further and stricter sanctions will be imposed in the future if employers do not introduce a working time recording system.
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FAQs
Monday to Saturday are considered the legal working days, but most employees typically work from Monday to Friday. Workdays usually start between 8-9 am and finish between 5-6 pm. Lunch breaks are 30 minutes to 1 hour.
How to calculate working hours in Germany? ›
Typical office hours are 9-5 Monday-Thursday and 9-4 Monday-Friday. According to the German labor law, working hours cannot exceed eight hours in one day or 48 hours in one week.
What are the working hours in Germany? ›
An average working week in Germany as a full-time employee is between 36 and 40 hours, with working days in Germany between 7 and 8 hours. A full-time employee in Germany has an average working week of 40 hours. University students can also work during their studies but the requirements are different.
What happens if I work more than 20 hours in Germany? ›
TIP: If you work more than 20 hours per week, not only will your studies suffer, you will also have to pay health, unemployment and nursing care insurance contributions.
Is it illegal to work more than 40 hours a week in Germany? ›
Legal limits to working hours in Germany
The working week runs from Monday to Saturday, and employees must not work more than 48 hours per week. This can be extended to 10 hours per day, if within six months (or 24 weeks) the overall average working time does not exceed eight hours per day.
How do I calculate my working hours? ›
How to calculate hours worked
- Step 1: Determine start and end time. Simple as that. ...
- Step 2: Convert time to military time. ...
- Step 3: Subtract start time from end time. ...
- Step 4: Subtract unpaid breaks. ...
- Step 5: Convert to decimal format. ...
- Step 6: Add up total hours for pay period.
Working Hours in Germany
Legal working days in Germany are from Monday to Saturday, but for most workers, a standard work week is from 8 or 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
How much does Germany pay per hour? ›
The minimum wage has been revised in Germany, with effect from 01 January 2024. The minimum wage has increased from €12.00 to €12.41 per hour. Note: This minimum wage increase might not reflect the inflationary trends.
What are the work rules in Germany? ›
Work hours in Germany
German labor law regulates work hours, and a single workday may not go beyond 10 hours of work. Overall work hours cannot average more than eight hours per day over a six-month period. Extended work hours are not common in Germany.
What is the maximum work hours in Germany? ›
According to the Hours of Work Act, work time is legally limited to eight hours a day and six days a week, for a weekly maximum of 48 hours. This limitation also applies to working from home. Sure, if push comes to shove, it's ok to work longer hours.
Monday to Saturday are considered the legal working days, but most employees typically work from Monday to Friday. Workdays usually start between 8-9 am and finish between 5-6 pm. Lunch breaks are 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Are 12 hour shifts legal in Germany? ›
Minimum and maximum working time
The maximum daily amount of working time must not exceed ten hours. However, the law stipulates that the working hours on business days (Monday until Saturday) must not exceed an average of eight working hours per day, ie 48 hours per week, over a period of six months or 24 weeks.
Can you work 80 hours a week in Germany? ›
Working hours are very flexible in Germany. Under German labor law employees are allowed to work eight hours per day (48 hours per week). Saturday is considered to be a normal working day.
Does 8 hour work day include lunch Germany? ›
Standard hours in Germany
Workdays usually start between 8-9 am and finish between 5-6 pm. Lunch breaks are 30 minutes to 1 hour.
What is the number of working hours per week in Germany? ›
The usual weekly working hours of all employed persons in 2022 in Germany amounted 34.7 hours. As the number of hours worked depends considerably on the proportion of parttime employed, fulltime employees (40.4 hours per week) and parttime employees (20.8 hours per week) should be examined separately.
Does Germany have a 32 hour work week? ›
Germany is already home to one of the shortest average working weeks in Europe. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the average working week is 34.2 hours.
How is overtime calculated in Germany? ›
Here are examples of overtime pay rates in Germany: For weekday overtime, 125% = 100% of the regular hourly rate + 25% overtime supplement for overtime hours. For Sunday overtime, 175% = 100% of the regular hourly rate + 25% overtime supplement + 50% Sunday supplement for overtime hours.
