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Working hours in Germany

Offices in Germany typically run 08:00–17:00 local time, Monday to Friday. That is about 45 hours a week across 5 working days.

The week in Germany

  1. Mon 08:00–17:00
  2. Tue 08:00–17:00
  3. Wed 08:00–17:00
  4. Thu 08:00–17:00
  5. Fri 08:00–17:00
  6. Sat off
  7. Sun off

When can you reach Germany?

We use the time zone your browser reports. Change it if that is not where you work — the hours below are yours, not UTC.

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Working with Germany: what the hours do not tell you

Eight hours a day, ten if it averages out

The Working Hours Act limits the working day to eight hours, extendable to ten only if the average over six months or 24 weeks stays at eight (ArbZG § 3). The law counts Saturday as a working day, so the legal ceiling is 48 hours a week; offices keep to Monday to Friday. Many run flexitime around fixed core hours, and an 08:00 start is ordinary.

Source: Arbeitszeitgesetz (ArbZG) § 3 (gesetze-im-internet.de)

Sunday is protected by law

Employees may not be employed on Sundays or public holidays from midnight to midnight (ArbZG § 9), with listed exceptions such as hospitals, transport and hospitality. For an office this means Sunday is not a quiet working day but a closed one, and a message sent on Sunday is read on Monday.

Source: Arbeitszeitgesetz (ArbZG) § 9 (gesetze-im-internet.de)

Every hour is recorded

Since the Federal Labour Court's decision of 13 September 2022 (1 ABR 22/21), employers must record the start, end and length of all working time, not only overtime. It is one reason a late call is not free in Germany: an hour after 18:00 is an hour on someone's record, and against their eight.

Source: BMAS, Fragen und Antworten zur Arbeitszeiterfassung

Working with Germany

Hours you share with Germany, computed from each country's own working day rather than a blanket nine-to-five.

What this changes when you schedule

Germany keeps the Saturday and Sunday weekend, so the days line up with most of Europe and the Americas.

The day also runs earlier than the nine-to-five most tools assume: 08:00–17:00 rather than 09:00–17:00.

A national convention for offices. Individual employers, shift work and retail vary.

Sources and last check

Times, offsets and sun positions on this page are computed live from the IANA timezone database and the NOAA solar algorithm, so they do not depend on the review dates below.

Working hours and weekend days for 55 countries
Source: Published national labour conventions and government working-hours guidance. Last checked, reviewed every 12 months.
Not covered:A national convention, not any given employer. Countries not listed fall back to a nine-to-five, Monday to Friday default, and pages say so rather than implying we checked.

FAQ

What are normal working hours in Germany?

08:00–17:00 local time is the usual office day, about 9 hours.

What days is the working week in Germany?

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. The rest days are Saturday and Sunday.

Is Saturday a working day in Germany?

No. Saturday is a rest day in Germany.

Is Sunday a working day in Germany?

No. Sunday is a rest day in Germany.