Understanding working time, not just administering it
If you have no legal department in house, you still have to know what applies. Here it is, together with the glossary and the templates and calculators that take the work off your hands afterwards.
Articles
32 Articles on German working time law, sorted by category. Every legal statement names its section, and applicable law and draft legislation are kept apart.
Legal position
Time recording: what is mandatory today, and what is only planned
You have had to record time since 2022, as the Federal Labour Court ruled. The widely cited reform of the Working Hours Act, by contrast, is still a draft. What that means for your business in concrete terms.
ReadThe Federal Labour Court order of 13/09/2022, and what it does not say
In 2022 the Federal Labour Court confirmed the duty to record working time, and at the same time took away the works council's right of initiative. Both are in one order.
ReadThe ECJ judgment of 14/05/2019 and its consequences for Germany
In 2019 the European Court of Justice obliged the member states to require an objective and reliable system for recording working time. What became of that in Germany.
ReadThe planned amendment to the Working Hours Act, as of September 2026
Electronic recording as the standard case, an exemption for small businesses, fines of up to 50,000 euros: what the ministerial draft says, and why none of it applies yet.
ReadSix weeks of pay in case of illness, and what comes after
How long pay continues during illness, when a fresh entitlement arises for the same illness and what applies during leave. With the deadlines from the EFZG.
ReadWorking time law
Break rules: what the Working Hours Act prescribes
How long does the break have to be, may it be split, and what counts as a break at all? The rules from section 4 ArbZG, including the special cases.
ReadRest period: the 11-hour rule and its exceptions
Eleven hours lie between the end of work and the start of the next day. Who may deviate from that, what applies to on-call duty, and where shift schedules regularly come unstuck.
ReadMaximum working time under section 3 ArbZG
Eight hours a working day, ten in exceptional cases, 48 weekly hours on average: why the statutory limit is not 40 hours.
ReadSunday and public holiday work under the Working Hours Act
Sunday work is in principle prohibited. Section 10 ArbZG names 16 exceptions, section 11 requires 15 free Sundays a year and a substitute day of rest within two weeks.
ReadStand-by duty, on-call duty and readiness for work
Stand-by duty is working time in full, on-call duty in principle is not. Where the line runs and which ECJ judgments have moved it.
ReadTrust-based working time: permitted, but not without records
Trust-based working time means nobody dictates when the working time falls. It does not mean working time is not recorded. What that means in practice.
ReadOvertime: what applies when people work longer
No statutory premium, ineffective blanket settlement clauses, exclusion periods of three months: what really applies to overtime and who has to prove what.
ReadTravel time: when it is working time and when it is paid
Business trips, the journey to a building site, the commute to the office: when travel time counts as working time, when it is paid, and why those are two different questions.
ReadShort-time work: what happens to the working time account first
Before short-time work allowance comes the running down of working time credit. What the Federal Employment Agency requires, which credits are protected and what has to be recorded.
ReadRecord-keeping duty
The record-keeping duty under section 17 MiLoG
A seven-day deadline, two years of retention, fines of up to 30,000 euros: who section 17 MiLoG affects, what has to be recorded and how customs inspects.
ReadTemporary agency work: it is the hirer who records working time
In temporary agency work the hirer records, not the agency. Section 17c AUeG requires the start, the end and the duration within seven days, to be kept for two years.
ReadHairdressing and beauty businesses: subject to record-keeping since 2026
Since 30/12/2025 the hairdressing and beauty trade has been listed in section 2a SchwarzArbG. Section 17 MiLoG therefore applies: the start, the end and the duration, a seven-day deadline, two years of retention.
ReadGoBD: when time records become relevant for tax
Immutability, traceability, process documentation: what the GoBD require of time tracking when invoices or wages come out of it.
ReadCodetermination
Introducing time tracking with a works council
No right of initiative, but full codetermination over the arrangement: what the works council can require of a time tracking system and what belongs in the works agreement.
ReadTime tracking and data protection: what is permitted
Legal basis, purpose limitation, deletion periods, GPS and fingerprints: what applies to processing working time data and where the line runs.
ReadPractice
Working time when working from home and working mobile
No legal entitlement to working from home, but the same duties: recording, maximum working time, rest periods. What businesses have to settle and what the works council codetermines.
ReadMini-jobs in 2026: records, the earnings limit and employment law
An earnings limit of 603 euros a month, a minimum wage of 13.90 euros, records within seven days: what businesses have to observe with marginally employed people.
ReadExcel or software: when the change pays off
A spreadsheet satisfies the duty but has three weaknesses: immutability, the effort of collecting, and the absence of checks. When it is enough and when it is not.
ReadWhat time tracking really costs
Pricing models, hidden items and the arithmetic behind them: what time tracking software costs per head, what terminals cost and from when it pays off.
ReadWhy time tracking without fingerprints is the safe choice
Biometric time tracking is in principle prohibited under Article 9 GDPR and permitted only on a narrow legal basis. What the courts have decided and what alternatives exist.
ReadGuide
Handing hours over to payroll cleanly
Which figures payroll really needs each month, in what format they get them and where the handover comes unstuck in practice.
ReadHow to plan practice duty in a doctors' practice
In five steps from an empty day plan to a staffed practice day: activities, qualifications, on-call duty and the rest period afterwards.
ReadHow to plan the treatment cycle in a dental practice
From a 20-minute cycle to an occupied chair: modelling treatment units, tying prophylaxis to the dental hygienist qualification and planning supervision along with it.
ReadHow to plan on-call duty in a veterinary practice
Entering the on-call rota, distinguishing on-call duty from stand-by duty and observing the rest period afterwards, without over-planning the following day.
ReadHow to plan the dispensary and on-call duty in a pharmacy
Modelling opening duty, the authority's on-call roster and night hours in the plan, with compounding tied to the pharmaceutical qualification.
ReadHow to plan the therapy day in physiotherapy
Modelling the cycle, keeping an eye on prescription deadlines and recording home visits including travel time, without confusing working time with therapy time.
ReadHow to separate client time and working time in a law or tax practice
Two kinds of time, two purposes: billable time on a matter and working time under the Working Hours Act. With roles that hold up against professional confidentiality.
ReadTemplates
Download it, enter the names, get going. No sign-up, no newsletter.
A timesheet and working time record as an Excel template or a printable PDF
Timesheet, hours record, working time record: the same document. Daily target, breaks and overtime calculated automatically, one table per month. As Excel for the calculation, as PDF for printing.
Holiday planner 2026 as a free Excel template
An annual overview for the whole team with German public holidays, weekends and remaining holiday calculation, ready for 2026.
Onboarding plans by industry
Four industry-specific 90-day onboarding templates: office & knowledge work, retail & sales, hospitality & service, trades & construction, with industry-appropriate tasks and owners.
Client allowance tracker as a free Excel template
Hour packages per client in view: usage, roll-over and remaining balance per month, ideal for retainer models at agencies, IT service providers and law practices.
Shift roster and duty roster as a free Excel template
A duty roster with the classic A/B week pattern for rotating shifts (early, late, night), with an hours total per employee and a warning where rest periods are breached.
Working time record under section 17 MiLoG
The start, end and duration of daily working time, recorded in the form section 17 MiLoG requires: no later than seven calendar days after the work was done, kept for two years.
Calculators
Bridge days and what they cost in leave
Bridge days by federal state and year, with the number of days off and the leave they cost.
CalculateCalculating the working days in a period
The working days of a period, with the public holidays of the chosen federal state and, optionally, a four- to six-day week.
CalculateHow long pay continues in case of illness
The end of the six weeks, the start of sick pay and the check whether a recurring illness gives rise to a fresh entitlement.
CalculateMaternity protection: the start and end of the protection period
The start and end of the protection period from the calculated due date, with the special cases of the MuSchG.
CalculateOvertime calculator
Overtime, payment and compensatory time off, checked against the limits of the German Working Hours Act.
CalculateCalculating leave entitlement
Days of leave for part-time work, joining or leaving during the current year, with the full calculation.
CalculateBreak calculator
Mandatory break and actual working time from arrival and departure, under section 4 ArbZG.
CalculateCalculating working time, day by day and for the week
Working time for the whole week, with the mandatory break, the weekly total and an ArbZG check.
CalculateCalculating the hourly rate from a monthly salary
The hourly rate from a monthly salary and weekly hours, with a minimum wage check.
CalculateHow many hours a mini-job allows
The hours limit in a mini-job at 603 euros, with a minimum wage check and a yearly view.
CalculateTax-free premiums for night, Sunday and public holiday work
Premiums under section 3b EStG, with the separate limits for tax and social security.
CalculateMaximum working time and the balancing period
The balancing period under section 3 ArbZG, with the remaining budget per week left.
CalculateRemaining leave and payment in lieu on departure
Remaining leave on departure, with the rule for the second half of the year and the payment in lieu.
CalculateLeave when the number of working days changes
Leave when the weekly working days change, calculated per segment instead of cut across the board.
CalculateGlossary
60 Working time terms, briefly explained. Each with its source, a worked example and the mistake most commonly made with it.
Work on demand
Work on demand means the work is performed according to the volume of work arising. The employer determines the timing at short notice, and in return section 12 TzBfG protects employees with four firm rules.
Traffic light account
A traffic-light account is a working time account with graduated limits. As long as the balance is in the green range nothing happens; in the amber range duties to run it down apply, and in the red range no further extra work may arise.
Notice period for rosters
The notice period is the lead time with which the timing of working time has to be communicated before it becomes binding.
Readiness for work
Readiness for work is the time at the workplace in which no work arises but work has to be reckoned with at any moment. The case law describes it as alert attention in a state of relaxation.
Incapacity for work
Incapacity for work exists where an ill person cannot perform the work they last performed, or can do so only at the risk of making things worse. What matters is the specific work, not the illness as such.
Working time
Working time is the time from the start to the end of work excluding rest breaks. Where somebody works for several employers, the times are added together.
Guides
The articles above explain what applies. These22 pages explain how it works in MetronHR, step by step and without signing up.
How do I set MetronHR up?
From the first sign-in to an invited workforce: the first run, the setup wizard, the federal state and public holidays, the working-time model, invitations. Including the rules that usually cause trouble.
ReadHow do my employees clock their working time?
Three routes in MetronHR: the stopwatch in the browser and in the app, a manual entry, and a card at the terminal. Plus the rules on breaks, overlaps, permitted channels and corrections.
ReadHow do I set up the terminal and how is time clocked on it?
Pairing the device in two steps, assigning cards, clocking in and out. Plus cases needing clarification, device findings and what the terminal expressly does not do.
ReadHow do I request and approve leave?
The request, the approval, the leave account, carry-over and expiry, cover for planned shifts, and company holidays for many people at once.
ReadHow do I close the month?
Work through open cases, check the time account per person, close the period with the closing lock, export the report. Including the two locks and the three overtime figures.
ReadHow do I pass the hours to the tax adviser?
Export the time account per person as Excel or PDF, plus the absence report. With the period, filters, the roles allowed to export and the closing beforehand.
ReadWhat do I need departments for?
Create departments, set the manager, assign people, tie clients and services to them. Plus their effect as a filter in reports and as a trigger in processes.
ReadWhat does the dashboard show and how do I set it up?
Arranging and hiding tiles, the twelve available tiles from Worked today to Birthdays, quick actions and the task list with the open decisions.
ReadWhich notifications are there and how do I configure them?
The notification centre and the bell, 49 triggering events, push notifications in the app, eighteen email templates, four switches per person and the unsubscribe link in every email.
ReadHow do I run a person's joining and leaving?
Create templates for joining, leaving and general workflows, maintain tasks with an owner and a deadline, start workflows and tick them off. Including what does not happen automatically.
ReadHow do I book time against projects and track the budget?
Create projects on the client, name the owners, store a budget and set the effort against it. Including what a project expressly is not in MetronHR.
ReadHow do I record time against clients and services?
Create clients and services, assign them to one another, keep allowances per client and service, report on them and have service records signed. All optional.
ReadHow do I manage the plan, licences and invoices?
The trial phase, taking out a subscription, changing the number of licences, switching between Team and Professional, booking additional storage, and retrieving invoices in the customer portal.
ReadHow do I create employees and maintain their file?
Invite or import, master data and the contract, employment periods, documents with folders and a recycle bin, leaving with a final position. Including the limits of the document store.
ReadWhat can I do in the app?
Signing in by QR code, the stopwatch and time entries, absences, approvals, shifts and the day plan, the time account and change requests. Plus what the app does without a network and what it does not.
ReadHow do I sign in and secure my access?
Signing in with a password, a passkey or a company account, the second factor with recovery codes, forgotten passwords, changing your email address and the time-limited support access.
ReadHow do I plan a day with activities?
A block grid across time and people, an activity catalogue, staffing rules, publishing with a log, applying for and handing over individual blocks, and cover in the event of a sick note.
ReadHow do I create a shift roster?
Create areas, pools and shift definitions, staff shifts, apply rotation patterns, publish. Plus swaps, open shifts, absences and the limits of the occupational safety check.
ReadHow do I configure MetronHR for my business?
Master data and the logo, the rules for time tracking and absences, the limits of the Working Time Act including a separate set for young people, custom public holidays and their import.
ReadWho may see and decide what in MetronHR?
The four roles and the five cases alongside them: supervisors, department managers, project owners and two groups of approvers. Including the central approvals page.
ReadWhich reports are there and what do they show?
Project reports with effort, revenue and budget, the analytics module of the time tracking, the figures on the dashboard and the export of the audit log. Including what the revenue is not.
ReadHow do I delete data and how long is it kept?
Tenant deletion with a deadline and a way to revoke it, why individual people are deactivated rather than deleted, the operations log and the retention of audit entries per plan.
ReadAnd who watches over it day to day?
MetronHR calculates breaks and overtime under the German Working Hours Act and records every change traceably. Try it free for 14 days.
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