Working Time

Under Article 63 of the Labour Law, working time is generally a maximum of 45 hours per week. Unless otherwise agreed, it is distributed equally over the working days. Details are set out in the Regulation on Working Time under the Labour Law.

Averaging

By agreement, normal weekly working time may be distributed differently across the working days, but may not exceed 11 hours a day. In that case, the employee’s average weekly working time over a two-month period may not exceed normal weekly working time. The averaging period may be extended to four months by collective agreement. In weeks with averaging, hours above 45 are not overtime provided the average is not exceeded.

Periods Counted as Working Time

• Time needed for mine and underground workers to descend and ascend shafts,
• Travel time when the employee is sent elsewhere by the employer to work,
• Time the employee spends at the workplace on standby for the employer without working,
• Time spent travelling collectively in vehicles provided by the employer to and from the workplace,
• Nursing breaks for breastfeeding employees.

Breaks, Night Work and Weekly Rest

• Breaks: 15 minutes for work of four hours or less, half an hour for more than four and up to seven and a half hours, one hour for more than seven and a half hours; breaks do not count as working time.
• Night work: May, as a rule, not exceed 7.5 hours.
• Weekly rest: At least 24 hours of uninterrupted rest within each seven-day period.

Record Keeping

Documenting working time with attendance records and time sheets matters both for proof in overtime disputes and for labour inspections. For part-time and remote work, how working time will be recorded should be set out in the contract.