🇩🇪 Working time rules

Working Time Rules: Germany

Germany: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.

This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Standard work week40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave20-30 daysMinimum 20 working days by law (based on 5-day week). Many employers offer 25-30 days.

Statutory working time

Under the Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz, § 3), working time may not exceed 8 hours per working day. It may be extended to up to 10 hours if the average over 6 calendar months does not exceed 8 hours per day.

Official source

Overtime

The Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz) caps normal work at 8 hours a working day, extendable to 10 if the average over six months stays at 8 - so in the statutory six-day model the weekly limit works out to about 48 hours. There is no general statutory overtime premium (pay depends on the contract or collective agreement), though a separate statutory allowance applies to night work.

Rest periods

At least 11 hours of uninterrupted daily rest, with rest breaks during longer working days.

Record-keeping

Following court rulings, employers are expected to record employees’ working time; implementing legislation has been developing.

What to check before you rely on this

  • The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
  • Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
  • How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
  • What working-time records you must keep and for how long.
Working hours and public holidaysWorking time rules in the EUTime tracking policy template
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