arbeitszeithelfer.de
Enter the start, end and break time for each weekday. The analysis flags typical violations of German working time law, such as excessive working hours, breaks that are too short and missing rest periods. No entered working times are stored or shared. The calculation runs anonymously in your browser.
General assessment basis with a 40-hour working week.
Assessment basis at 100% working time share: 40 h 00 min
All information on legal regulations is for guidance only and provided without warranty. It does not constitute legal advice.
Under the German Working Hours Act (§ 3 ArbZG), daily working time is limited to 8 hours. It can be extended to up to 10 hours if the average of 8 hours per working day is not exceeded within 6 months or 24 weeks.
Minimum break times under § 4 ArbZG: up to 6 hours no break required; more than 6 up to 9 hours at least 30 minutes; more than 9 hours at least 45 minutes. Breaks may be split into segments of at least 15 minutes each.
Under § 5 ArbZG, there must be an uninterrupted rest period of at least 11 hours between the end of one working day and the start of the next. In certain sectors (e.g. care, hospitality) exceptions may apply.
The maximum weekly working time is 48 hours (6 working days × 8 hours). This average must not be exceeded over the compensation period of 6 months or 24 weeks. Many collective agreements provide for shorter regular hours, e.g. 39 hours in the public sector (TVöD).
Sundays and public holidays are generally non-working days under § 9 ArbZG. In certain sectors (e.g. hospitality, care, security, transport) § 10 ArbZG allows exceptions. Anyone working on a Sunday is entitled to a replacement rest day within two weeks.
Violations of the ArbZG can result in fines of up to €15,000 for employers (§ 22 ArbZG). In the case of intentional violations that endanger employees’ health, imprisonment is even possible. Employees can contact the occupational health and safety authority responsible.