The legal situation

In a landmark ruling of 14 May 2019, the European Court of Justice obliges employers to introduce a system for recording working time. In a sensational ruling, the Federal Labor Court in Erfurt reiterated this view in September 2022, pointing out that the provisions of occupational health and safety must be implemented for all employees.

The prescribed maximum working hours should not be exceeded and rest periods should be observed. Every company and every institution is obliged to document the hours worked. Although transposition into German labor law is still pending, this does not exempt employers from implementation.

Previous models of so-called " confidence-based working hours" could thus no longer be sufficient. The documentation obligation stipulates that proof of hours worked must be kept, but the form of documentation is not prescribed. A digital time recording system is recommended so that documentation does not end in a flood of paper.

Find out what is possible with time recording, time management and in workforce management.