The Arbeitszeitgesetz (ArbZG), or Working Hours Act, is the primary German statute regulating the maximum length of the working day and week. It limits daily working time to eight hours, extendable to ten hours on any given day provided the average across a six-month or 24-week reference period does not exceed eight hours per day. The law covers all employees aged 18 and over; separate, stricter rules under the Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz apply to workers under 18.
Mandatory rest breaks of 30 minutes (for shifts of more than six hours) or 45 minutes (for shifts exceeding nine hours) must be scheduled in advance, not improvised. A minimum uninterrupted rest period of eleven hours must follow the end of each working day. Work on Sundays and public holidays is generally prohibited unless permitted by sector-specific ordinances or a collective agreement; employees required to work Sundays must receive a compensatory rest day within the following two weeks.
Violations of the ArbZG are administrative offences subject to fines of up to €15,000 per incident, rising to €30,000 in cases of intent or repeat breach. Since 2022, following the Bundesarbeitsgericht ruling of September 2022, employers are broadly required to record actual daily working hours electronically; forthcoming legislation is expected to codify this obligation in full. Compliance reviews should verify both the recording system and the underlying scheduling practices.