Contents
Who has the entitlement
The employment relationship has to have lasted longer than six months, and the employer has to employ more than 45 employees as a rule. Apprentices do not count towards that.
The request has to be made in text form, at least three months before the start of the desired reduction, stating the extent and the period. The employer has to reject it at least one month before the start, otherwise the reduction is deemed settled.
The reasonableness threshold
For employers with 46 to 200 employees a reasonableness threshold applies: the entitlement exists only for one employee per 15 employees or part thereof above 45 (section 9a(2) TzBfG). At 100 employees that is four people at a time.
Regardless of that, the employer can reject the request on operational grounds where the reduction would substantially impair the organisation, the workflow or safety at the business, or cause disproportionate costs.
What happens afterwards
At the end of the period the person automatically returns to their previous working time. A fresh request for bridge part-time work is possible at the earliest one year after the return.
During bridge part-time work there is no entitlement to a further reduction or to an early return. That distinguishes it from open-ended part-time work under section 8 TzBfG, from which there is no statutory right to return.
Example: request and deadlines
- A business with 120 employees, reasonableness threshold: 5 people at a time.
- Desired reduction from 40 to 25 hours from 1 July, for two years.
- Request in text form by 31 March at the latest.
- Rejection by the employer by 31 May at the latest, otherwise the reduction takes effect.
- Automatic return to 40 hours on 30 June two years later.
Common mistake
The leave entitlement gets calculated wrongly on the return. What counts is the number of working days per week, and an entitlement already acquired must not be reduced retroactively on a reduction.
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: 2 September 2026