Balancing period
The balancing period is the span over which the average of eight hours of daily working time has to be observed. It is six calendar months or 24 weeks.
As of:September 2026
What it is for
Without a balancing period, every ten-hour shift would be impermissible. Section 3, second sentence, ArbZG permits them where an average of eight hours a working day is reached again. The balancing period says over what time that is calculated.
The business chooses between six calendar months and 24 weeks. Both stand as alternatives in the act; the choice should be documented so that in an inspection it is clear what the calculation rests on.
MetronHR works these figures out itself: time accounts, premiums, overtime and the limits of the German Working Hours Act, with every booking.
Extension only by collective agreement
Under section 7(1) no. 1 ArbZG, a collective agreement, or a works agreement based on one, can provide for a longer balancing period. Without collective bargaining coverage, six months or 24 weeks stands; a works agreement alone is not enough.
Not to be confused with the balancing period for rest periods: where the rest period is shortened to ten hours under section 5(2) ArbZG, the balance has to be restored within one calendar month or four weeks.
Example: twelve weeks with extra work
- Balancing period 24 weeks, budget 48 h × 24 = 1,152 hours.
- Twelve weeks at 55 hours each: 660 hours used.
- Remaining: 1,152 − 660 = 492 hours for twelve weeks.
- That leaves 41 hours per remaining week. The balance therefore has to be planned.
Common mistake
The balancing period gets kept as a rolling window but is never evaluated. Anyone doing the arithmetic only at the end finds that the balance can no longer be achieved.
Further reading
- Section 3 ArbZG, section 5(2) ArbZG, section 7(1) no. 1 ArbZG
This is not legal advice; for a specific case at your workplace you are better off asking someone qualified to give it.
Published by: AMNAU GmbH
Editorial responsibility: Ugur Aydogan, Product development.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Knowing the terms is one thing. Settling them cleanly is another.
MetronHR keeps time accounts, calculates premiums and checks the limits of the German Working Hours Act automatically. Try it free for 14 days.
No credit card, cancel any time
Related terms
Working time account
A working time account records how many hours somebody is above or below the agreed working time. The balance is settled over a defined period, through time off or through payment.
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.
Target hours
Target hours are the hours a person has to work contractually in a period. They are the comparison figure for the hours actually worked and therefore the basis of every time account.
Night work
Night work is any work covering more than two hours of night time. Under section 2(3) ArbZG, night time runs from 23:00 to 06:00, and in bakeries and confectioneries from 22:00 to 05:00.
Rest period
The rest period is the continuous free time between the end of one working day and the start of the next. It is at least eleven hours.
Working day
Working days are all days except Sundays and statutory public holidays, so Monday to Saturday. The Working Hours Act and the Federal Leave Act count in working days, not in workdays.
Shift allowance
A shift allowance compensates for the burden of changing working times, for instance in two- or three-shift operations. It attaches to the shift model, not to a particular time of day.
Time off in lieu
Compensatory time off means that extra work performed is offset by paid release from work instead of payment. It requires an agreement; it does not follow from the law.
Annual working time
In an annual working time model the working time owed is set for a whole year rather than for the week. Its distribution across the months follows demand.