Time tracking that helps you stay compliant
Record working hours and get support in staying compliant with the ArbZG, without having to think about statutes. MetronHR checks breaks, maximum working hours and rest periods automatically in the background.
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- No more checking working hours for violations by hand
- Automatic warnings before a limit is crossed
- GDPR compliant, hosted in Germany
Lena H.
Tobias K.
Aylin D.
Mehmet Y.
Sophie B.
Mara W.Leave, 3 daysAylin Demir · 28–30 OctTraining, 1 dayTobias Krüger · 22 Oct
Leave, 3 daysNadia Schulz · 22–24 DecReview
Month endSeptember · Krämer payroll officeDone- Made in GermanyDeveloped and hosted in Germany
- Certified data centreISO 27001, located in Germany
- Web, app and terminalBrowser, iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows
- GDPR compliantServers in Nuremberg and Falkenstein
An end to going by gut feeling on working hours
Who actually checks whether the working hours in the team are right? Whether breaks are taken? In most small businesses: nobody. Until the inspection arrives.
- Problem
Nobody checks whether it all adds up
Hours get recorded, but nobody checks whether breaks and maximum working hours were kept. Until the next visit from the authorities.
- Problem
Excel knows no employment law
Your spreadsheet adds hours up, but it does not warn you when someone works 11 hours straight or falls short of the rest period.
- Problem
The inspection turns stressful
When the authorities want records, the great search begins. Complete documentation? Not a chance.
Time tracking with the compliance check built in
Your team records hours as usual, and MetronHR checks them against the ArbZG in the background and warns before a limit is crossed.
Supports ArbZG complianceMetronHR checks every working hour against the ArbZG automatically, so a breach shows up at once and not at the inspection.
The limits of the law
Maximum working time, rest periods, breaks and youth protection are checked with every entry.
Try it
Move the clock-out later: above 10 hours the warning appears at once.
Above 10 hours: the entry is marked and the manager sees it in the check.
The warning to the manager is switched on.
Mara Wolf+13:45hamberLena Hoffmann+2:30hgreenSophie Braun+2:15hgreenTobias Krüger−1:30hgreenThis is how the automatic compliance check works in MetronHR
From the time entry to complete documentation, with no extra work for you.
Record working time
Your team records hours as usual, with the timer or by typing them in. No new tool, no new process.
Less work for your team
Time tracking Rest periodsWeek 43 · between two shiftsPerson End Start Rest period Tobias KrügerWed 21:30 07:00 9:30h Sophie BraunWed 16:30 Thu 07:30 15:00h Mara WolfWed 22:00 Thu 13:00 15:00h Less than 11 hours of rest under § 5 ArbZG.
Automatic checking in the background
MetronHR checks every entry against the ArbZG at once: maximum daily hours, break rules and rest periods between working days.
Spot breaches before they happen
Automatic validation October check12 people · 22 working daysWorking days checked0 of 264day Person Finding Status 08.10. Mara Wolf 10:15h in one day with a note 21.10. Tobias Krüger Rest period 9:30h with a note Warnings and documentation
Violations are colour-marked right in the time entry and visible at once. Missing breaks are documented and taken into account at payroll.
Complete records for every inspection
Warnings and reports Save entryMara Wolf · Thursday, 8 OctoberFrom06:45To17:45Break0:45hNoteStocktakingWorking time10:15hMore than 10 hours. § 3 ArbZG allows that only with compensation; MetronHR marks the entry.
Within the 10 hours.
What the protective functions can do
Everything you need to record working hours lawfully, without a law degree.
- Working Hours Act
Automatic ArbZG check
Every time entry is checked against the legal limits (max. 10h a day, 48h a week)
Limits you can configure per company
- Breaks
Break monitoring to the letter of the law
Checked automatically: 30 minutes of break after 6.5 hours, 45 minutes after 9 hours
Missing breaks are detected and documented
- Rest periods
Rest period check
At least 11 hours of rest between two working days, monitored automatically
A warning when it falls short
- Protective rules
Warnings under the JArbSchG and MuSchG too
Minors, pregnant and breastfeeding employees have their own limits, and the system checks those as well
Alongside the maximum working time and the rest period under the ArbZG, the planning also checks the tighter limits of the Young Persons Employment Act and the Maternity Protection Act. The warning comes while you plan, not later in a report.
- Documentation
Change history of time entries
Every entry and every change is logged, as evidence for an inspection
GoBD compliant records with the user attached, in the Professional plan
- Warnings
Violations marked at once
Breaches of the legal limits are marked visibly at once
Highlighted in colour right in the time entry
- Adjusted working time
Corrected hours calculation
Missing breaks are taken into account automatically at payroll
A calculation in the open, for staff and team leads
- Configuration
Flexible rules per company
Adjust the limits to your collective agreements or works agreements
Different rules per department are possible
- Reports
Compliance reports at the push of a button
Finished reports on working hours and anything unusual, as Excel or CSV
Monthly summaries for management
ArbZG compliance for your whole team
Whether you run the company, lead a team or work in it, everyone gains from working hours being checked automatically.
- Owner or director
Lawful without extra work
- You know you have to record working hours properly, but who checks that everything follows the ArbZG?
- MetronHR checks automatically and warns you before anything goes wrong. Complete documentation for every inspection.
- Team lead
Keeping an overview of the team
- Who is working too much? Who is skipping breaks? Until now only recalculating by hand could answer that.
- Automatic warnings when something looks off, so you react before it becomes a problem.
- Employee
Fair working hours, protected automatically
- Long working days without a break, and nobody notices until it is too late.
- The system reminds you to take breaks and warns you when a limit is crossed. Your rights are observed automatically.
- Accountant
Clean records for payroll
- Clients hand over patchy working time data that would not survive an inspection.
- GoBD compliant documentation of all working hours, complete and ready to export.
Security and data protection
Your working time data is safe: hosted in Germany, GDPR compliant and encrypted.
- Encrypted storage of all working time data
- GDPR compliant processing of personal data
- GoBD compliant records for tax requirements
Related
Where to go from here, and what waits for you there.
- Meet the duty
Meeting the recording duty, without panic and without a deadline
What the check does inside the product is described here. What the law requires, and what so far exists only in the draft bill, is on the page about record-keeping duties.
See Meet the duty - Template
Before you begin: the template for it
The notice on break rules under § 4 ArbZG, set large for the wall, with § 11 JArbSchG for young workers. Free, no sign-up.
See Break notice
Frequent questions about ArbZG compliance
Everything you need to know about how MetronHR helps you keep to employment law.
Question not answered here? Every step is explained in the help centre.
Send us a messageWhich employment laws are checked automatically?
MetronHR checks every time entry automatically against the German Working Hours Act (ArbZG). In practice that means: maximum daily working time (10 hours), maximum weekly working time (48 hours on average), break rules (30 minutes after 6.5 hours, 45 minutes after 9 hours) and the minimum rest period of 11 hours between two working days. The check runs in real time, you do not have to do anything.
What happens if someone breaches the ArbZG?
As soon as a time entry crosses a legal limit it is colour-marked and the breach is visible at once. Missing breaks are documented and taken into account when the hours are calculated, so payroll still adds up. In the Professional plan the change history of the time entries also records who corrected what and when, so you can show at an inspection that you reacted.
Can the rules be adapted to our collective agreement?
Yes. You can configure the limits individually per company or per department. If your collective agreement provides for stricter maximum hours or longer breaks, for example, that is a matter of a few clicks. Special rules for particular groups of staff are possible too.
Is the documentation GoBD compliant?
Yes. All records meet the requirements of the GoBD (the German principles for proper bookkeeping). That means every entry and every change is logged immutably with a timestamp and the user who made it. The data can be exported for your accountant or the tax authorities at any time.
How exactly does break monitoring work?
MetronHR monitors working time continuously. If someone has not entered a 30-minute break after 6.5 hours, both that person and the team lead are notified. Above 9 hours of working time the 45-minute rule applies. If no break is entered later, it is deducted automatically when the adjusted working time is calculated, so the records stay lawful.
Can we present the reports at a company audit?
Yes, that is exactly what they are for. You can export detailed reports on working hours, anything unusual and compliance with employment law as Excel or CSV at any time. The reports contain every relevant figure, and in the Professional plan the change history of the time entries as well, so at an inspection by the authorities or by customs you can answer straight away instead of having to gather data first.
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