Germany has strict and well-defined working time laws designed to protect employees’ health and ensure predictable schedules. These rules apply regardless of whether you work full-time, part-time, or as a student employee. This guide explains how many hours you may work, how breaks and rest periods are regulated, what overtime really means, and what you are entitled to as paid leave.
Legal Basis: Why Working Hours Are Strictly Regulated
Working time in Germany is primarily governed by the Working Time Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz). The focus is not flexibility for employers, but employee protection.
Key principles:
• Prevent excessive workloads
• Guarantee recovery time
• Create enforceable limits, not guidelines
If a company violates working time rules, it is not your responsibility—but you should still understand the rules to protect yourself.
Standard Working Hours
Daily & Weekly Limits
• 8 hours per day is the standard
• Can be extended to 10 hours per day only if:
• The average over 6 months (or 24 weeks) does not exceed 8 hours per day
• Typical full-time week: 40 hours
This means:
• Occasional long days are legal
• Permanent 10-hour days are not
Breaks During the Workday
Breaks are mandatory, not optional.
Legal minimum breaks:
• 30 minutes if you work more than 6 hours
• 45 minutes if you work more than 9 hours
Rules you should know:
• Breaks can be split (e.g. 2 × 15 minutes)
• Breaks do not count as working time
• No employee may work more than 6 hours without a break
If your employer “forgets” to schedule breaks, they are violating the law.
Rest Periods Between Workdays
After finishing work, you must have:
• At least 11 consecutive hours of rest before starting work again
Exceptions exist for:
• Hospitals
• Hospitality
• Emergency services
But even there, compensatory rest is mandatory.
Overtime: What Actually Counts?
Overtime rules depend heavily on your contract.
Important Reality Check
Germany does not have automatic overtime pay by default.
Overtime compensation may be:
• Paid (hourly or flat rate)
• Compensated with time off
• Included in salary (only within legal limits and if clearly stated)
Always check:
• Your employment contract
• Any collective agreement (Tarifvertrag)
Unpaid overtime without clear contractual basis is not automatically legal.
Working Hours for Students
For enrolled students:
• Max. 20 hours per week during the semester
• More hours usually allowed during semester breaks
• Exceeding limits can affect:
• Student status
• Health insurance
• Residence permit (for non-EU students)
Student rules interact with general working time law but are stricter.
Night Work, Sundays & Public Holidays
Night Work
• Typically defined as work between 23:00 and 6:00
• Entitles employees to:
• Additional pay or
• Additional time off
Sundays & Holidays
• Generally prohibited
• Exceptions exist for:
• Healthcare
• Transport
• Hospitality
• Emergency services
If Sunday work is allowed, replacement rest days are mandatory.
Annual Leave (Paid Vacation)
Legal Minimum
• 20 days per year (based on a 5-day workweek)
In practice:
• Many contracts offer 25–30 days
• Public holidays are additional, not included
Key points:
• Leave must be approved, but cannot be arbitrarily denied
• Unused leave generally expires if not taken (with exceptions)
• Sick days during vacation do not count as leave (doctor’s note required)
Recording Working Time
Employers are required to:
• Record working hours
• Especially overtime and excess hours
This can be done via:
• Time-tracking systems
• Digital tools
• Timesheets
If no tracking exists, disputes usually favor the employee, provided you can document your hours.
Common Problems & Red Flags
“Everyone Works Longer Here”
Cultural pressure does not override legal limits.
“Overtime Is Expected”
Expected ≠unpaid or unlimited.
“Breaks Are Flexible”
Breaks are mandatory. Skipping them is illegal.
Reality Check
Reality Check
• German working time law is employee-friendly on paper
• Enforcement depends on awareness
• Many problems arise from not reading contracts carefully
Knowing your rights does not make you difficult—it makes you legally protected.