Reception, housekeeping and kitchen in one plan
Three departments with three rhythms, one shared recording duty. MetronHR holds the plan together and keeps the record complete.
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- Recording under section 17 MiLoG for the whole house
- Night reception with premiums and examination deadlines
- Housekeeping planned by room count instead of by gut feeling
In shortHotels have to record start, end and duration of working time for every employee within seven days and keep the records for two years, because the accommodation trade is listed in section 2a SchwarzArbG. Whoever works the night desk can become a night worker. In the Professional plan, MetronHR plans reception, housekeeping and kitchen in one plan, with one time account per person.
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What comes together legally in a hotel
A hotel combines three kinds of operation under one roof. The recording duty applies equally to all three, while the working-time rules differ markedly by department.
- Deadline for recording
- 7 calendar days
- Retention
- 2 years
- Rest period reducible to
- 10 hours
- Night time under the ArbZG
- 11 pm to 6 am
Accommodation is named in section 2a SchwarzArbG
Because hospitality and accommodation are named there, a hotel keeps records under section 17 (1) MiLoG for every employee, within seven calendar days, retained for two years.
This applies equally to reception, housekeeping, kitchen and service. Where housekeeping is outsourced to an external firm, the duty stays with that service provider, but under section 13 MiLoG in conjunction with section 14 AEntG you are liable for the minimum wage of its employees.
Night reception creates night workers
Anyone regularly working more than two hours between 11 pm and 6 am is doing night work. From 48 such days a year the entitlements under section 6 ArbZG apply.
These include the occupational health examination at the employer's expense, annually from the age of 50, and appropriate compensation in days off or as a premium, unless a collective agreement provides otherwise (section 6 (5) ArbZG). Night workers' daily working time has its own shorter compensation period of one month or four weeks (section 6 (2) ArbZG).
Open on Sundays, replacement rest day all the same
Accommodation is covered by section 10 (1) no. 4 ArbZG and may operate on Sundays. Every Sunday worked triggers a replacement rest day within two weeks.
In addition, at least 15 Sundays a year must remain work-free (section 11 (1) ArbZG). In a house with continuous operation this count has to run per person, not per department.
Shortened rest periods in accommodation businesses
The rest period may drop to ten hours if every reduction is compensated by another rest period of at least twelve hours, within one month or four weeks.
Section 5 (2) ArbZG allows this. It becomes relevant in practice when reception switches from a late shift to an early one, and for breakfast service starting at five after the bar closed at one.
The key duties and how they are met day to day
| Duty | Source | With paper or Excel | With MetronHR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record within 7 days | Section 17(1) MiLoG | only when typed up at month end | when clocking in, on the same day |
| Night work from 48 days a year | Section 2(5), section 6 ArbZG | nobody counts night shifts | 48-day count across the calendar year |
| Substitute rest day after Sunday work | Section 11(3) ArbZG | each department counts on its own | count per person across all departments |
Shift and duty planning, the day plan and client hour packages are part of the Professional plan.
Record within 7 days
- Source
- Section 17(1) MiLoG
- With paper or Excel
- only when typed up at month end
- With MetronHR
- when clocking in, on the same day
Night work from 48 days a year
- Source
- Section 2(5), section 6 ArbZG
- With paper or Excel
- nobody counts night shifts
- With MetronHR
- 48-day count across the calendar year
Substitute rest day after Sunday work
- Source
- Section 11(3) ArbZG
- With paper or Excel
- each department counts on its own
- With MetronHR
- count per person across all departments
Shift and duty planning, the day plan and client hour packages are part of the Professional plan.
Further reading: Section 2a (1) no. 2 SchwarzArbG · Section 17 (1) MiLoG, section 13 MiLoG · Section 5 (2) ArbZG, section 6 (2) to (5) ArbZG · Section 10 (1) no. 4 ArbZG, section 11 (1) and (3) ArbZG
In detail, with examples: Working hours in hotels: planning night duty, split shifts and rest periods correctly
As at: November 2026. This is not legal advice; for a specific case in your business it is better to ask someone with a licence to practise.
Three departments, three Excel files, one inspection
Reception plans in shifts, housekeeping by room count, the kitchen by occupancy. At the end of the month all of that is supposed to become a payroll run.
- Problem
Every department plans on its own
Anyone helping out at breakfast and standing at the bar in the evening appears in two plans. Neither of them sees the maximum working time.
- Problem
Housekeeping is staffed by feel
Occupancy sits in the PMS, the staffing need forms in the head of the housekeeping manager. With a group arrival that rarely fits.
- Problem
Night shifts without a count
From 48 night shifts a year entitlements arise. Anyone not counting notices them only when somebody claims them.
One house, one plan, one set of reports
All departments plan in the same system, and working time is kept per person rather than per department. Premiums, night shift days and replacement rest days run along automatically.
One personnel file per headAnyone working in two departments still has one hours account and one limit.
Features for hotel operations
Built for continuous operation, split shifts and moves between departments.
- Planning
Departments with their own rules
Reception and housekeeping plan differently but count together
Each department has its own shift templates and staffing levels, while each person has one shared working-time account across all departments.
- Time
Premiums by time of day and day of week
Night, Sunday and public holiday shown separately
Premiums are calculated per hour actually worked and shown separately, so the tax exemption under section 3b EStG is preserved.
- Employee protection
Night shift days and examination deadlines
The 48-day threshold speaks up by itself
The count runs over the calendar year, and anyone reaching the threshold appears on the list for occupational health screening.
- Overview
Complete records for two years
Export for any period in seconds
Start, end and duration per working day, corrections logged, output as a file for inspection by the customs financial control unit.
- Mobile
Plan and clocking on the phone
Also for staff without a fixed workstation
Housekeeping and service have no desk. The plan, the time clock and absence requests therefore sit in the app.
For management and the team
From the weekly plan to your own shift, the same data.
- Management / HR
One view of the whole house
- Occupancy fluctuates, staff costs are supposed to fluctuate with it, and the records still have to be right.
- Planned against actual hours per department, premium shares visible, and the record is created along the way.
- Reception, housekeeping, kitchen
Your own shift without asking around
- The plan hangs in the back office, and you learn about changes when you turn up for duty.
- The current plan is on the phone, with a reminder before the shift starts and the option to swap shifts.
Related
Where to go from here, and what waits for you there.
Frequently asked questions from the hotel industry
What accommodation businesses ask about records and duty rosters.
Question not answered here? Every step is explained in the help centre.
Send us a messageDoes section 17 MiLoG also apply to our permanent reception staff?
Yes. Accommodation is named in section 2a (1) no. 2 SchwarzArbG, and section 17 (1) MiLoG builds on that. The duty covers all employees of the business, regardless of pay and type of contract.
Do we pay in the off season for rooms nobody services?
No. You adjust the number of licences yourself every month, up and down, without asking and without a minimum term. The lower limit is the number of seats currently occupied. Anyone employing seasonal staff only from May to October pays for them only in those months.
What applies if we outsource housekeeping to an external firm?
The recording duty falls on the service provider as the employer. For the minimum wage of its employees, however, you are liable under section 13 MiLoG like a guarantor who has waived the defence of failure to pursue remedies.
When does night reception count as night work?
As soon as more than two hours fall within the night period from 11 pm to 6 am (section 2 (4) ArbZG). A night worker is someone who does this on at least 48 days in the calendar year or who normally works rotating shifts.
Can we shorten the rest period between the bar and breakfast?
Yes, by up to one hour to ten (section 5 (2) ArbZG), but every reduction needs compensation within one month or four weeks through a rest period of at least twelve hours.
How do we keep track of employees who work in two departments?
Through one working-time account per person rather than per department. Maximum working time, rest periods and premiums are calculated from all assignments together.
Other industries
Security services
Every post is tied to a qualification, every security officer to a reliability check, and the security industry is named in section 2a SchwarzArbG.
ViewBuilding cleaning
A generally binding industry minimum wage under the AEntG, recording under section 17 MiLoG and travel time between sites that nobody counts as working time but which is exactly that.
ViewLogistics
For driving personnel it is not section 3 ArbZG that applies but section 21a: 48 hours on average, compensation over four months or 16 weeks, and standby time does not count under certain conditions.
View
One plan for the whole house, one record for the inspection
Reception, housekeeping and kitchen in the same system, with premiums, night shift counting and complete records. Try it free for 14 days.
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