On average, employees in Germany have some of the shortest working hours in Europe. Yes, you are right! It seems that Germany is an ideal work-life balance country.
The full-time working hour in Germany:
The average working week in Germany is between 36 and 40 hours. Most full-time jobs in Germany are seven or eight hours a day, five days a week, with an hour or 30 minutes break at lunchtime.
The part-time working hour in Germany
Anyone working in Germany for less than 30 hours per week is considered a part-time employee. However, once you have been at your company for six months, you have the right to request a reduction to your weekly working hours (as long as the company employs more than 15 people).
Part-time work is becoming more popular as freelancing and job-sharing become more prevalent.
Legal limits to working hours in Germany
There are strict legal limits on working hours in Germany: you are not permitted to work more than eight hours per day. In addition, the working week runs from Monday to Saturday, and employees must not work more than 48 hours per week.
Work on Sundays and public holidays is primarily prohibited, except for workers in the service industry. Work on Sundays must be compensated by corresponding time off within the following two weeks.
If you work between six and nine hours, you are entitled to a 30-minute break, which you can also split into two intervals of 15 minutes. If you work more than nine hours, you are entitled to a 45-minute break after six hours of work. You must receive a gap of more than 11 hours between work shifts.
