Overview
- Labor Minister Bärbel Bas told the Bundestag on Wednesday that a draft law to swap the daily cap for a weekly limit will arrive in June.
- The plan would align with EU rules by using a weekly maximum and keeping an 11‑hour daily rest period, which permits single shifts of up to about 13 hours.
- Legal scholars at the Hugo‑Sinzheimer‑Institut calculated a practical ceiling of 12 hours 15 minutes per day and, in extreme six‑day weeks, up to 73.5 hours, with the 48‑hour weekly average still required over a set reference period.
- Trade unions DGB, ver.di and NGG warn workers could be ordered into very long days and cite Federal Institute research showing weeks over 40 hours raise accident and illness risks.
- The government says the bill will mandate electronic time recording to deter abuse and strengthen enforcement.