Contents
What it is for
Core time secures a period in which arrangements, handovers and availability are possible. Four to five hours is typical, for instance from 09:30 to 15:00, and often shorter on Fridays.
It does not follow from the law but from a works agreement, a collective agreement or the employment contract. Where a works council exists, setting it is subject to codetermination (section 87(1) no. 2 BetrVG).
Why it is becoming less common
With distributed teams and mobile working, fixed attendance loses its value, because arrangements run through calendars and chat anyway. Many businesses therefore replace core time with rules on availability or with fixed meetings.
Anyone abolishing it should settle that expressly. A core time lived for years can continue to have effect as established company practice, and where it is set out in a works agreement, abolishing it needs the works council's consent.
Example: a framework with core time
- Flexitime framework 06:00 to 20:00.
- Core time Monday to Thursday 09:30 to 15:00, Friday 09:30 to 13:00.
- Anyone starting at 07:00 and taking a 30-minute break reaches eight hours at 15:30.
- Anyone starting at 09:30 works until 18:00.
Common mistake
A core time that effectively covers the whole day is no longer flexitime. If only half an hour lies between the end of core time and the end of the framework, the flexibility exists only on paper.
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