Overview
- Labor Minister Bärbel Bas said she will present a bill in June to allow a weekly cap on hours instead of a strict eight-hour daily limit.
- The plan adds mandatory electronic time recording to curb unchecked overtime and to protect workers in sectors with little representation, such as parcel delivery.
- Bas said the goal is easier work–family balance for parents with safeguards so women are not pushed out of jobs.
- Trade unions reject the change, and DGB leader Yasmin Fahimi warned the government against moving forward.
- German law now limits most days to eight hours within a 48-hour week, and talks so far show employers and unions remain far apart.