German workweek reform to replace 8-hour day
Germany’s coalition government plans to replace the traditional eight-hour workday with a flexible weekly working time cap, as reported by Welt on May 14, 2025.
Currently, German law restricts employees to eight hours of work per day, extendable to ten in exceptional circumstances.
The German workweek reform will shift the foundation of labor law in the country, allowing companies and employees to determine how hours are distributed across the week, so long as the yet-to-be-defined weekly maximum is not exceeded. This is aimed at providing greater flexibility while retaining safeguards for worker health and autonomy.
What is a weekly working time cap?
A weekly working time cap limits the number of hours employees can legally work in a single week. This offers more flexibility than daily caps, allowing for longer shifts on some days and shorter ones on others, as long as the total doesn’t exceed the legal weekly maximum.
The move is seen as a push toward modernizing labor policies, but it’s also raising questions among business leaders and unions.
Not Everyone Agrees
Minister Bärbel Bas of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) side of the coalition clarified that the German workweek reform was not initiated by her party.
“Before we pass a law on this, we will consult with the social partners,” Bas said in an interview with Funke Media Group newspapers. She acknowledged concerns from the business sector, especially about how new time tracking requirements could complicate compliance. “I hear that companies also have their problems with a maximum weekly working time – partly because of time recording”, Bas stated.
Bas reiterated that the new rules would not permit employers to force longer hours and that workplace health and safety standards would remain protected under the law.
What Does it Mean for German Employers and Employees?
The German workweek reform will have wide-reaching effects on businesses and their operational practices. Most HR departments and payroll systems are configured around a daily maximum. Switching to a weekly system would necessitate major updates to internal processes, contract structures, and time tracking tools.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular could face significant hurdles adapting to the new system, as typically they have fewer HR resources than larger organizations.
Employees, however, could benefit from greater scheduling autonomy under the reform, choosing to condense their work hours into fewer days or spread them out differently.
Proposals for more radical change, such as implementing a four-day workweek were dismissed by Bas as impractical at this stage. “I would also like a four-day week, but it’s unrealistic,” she said.
Political leaders like Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) have called on Germans to work more to support economic recovery, but Bas rejected the narrative. “I know so many people who work and still have to go to the office. Telling them they need to work even more is not my rhetoric,” she said.
European Trends
The German workweek reform signals a decisive shift toward aligning with evolving labor norms across the European Union. While Germany has long upheld the eight-hour daily limit, many EU nations have already adopted more flexible frameworks based on weekly working hour caps, typically set at 48 hours.
By transitioning to a weekly model, Germany is not just catching up with its European peers; it’s positioning itself to take part in a new era of flexible, modern employment standards.
However, the shift demands robust digital tools for time and attendance tracking management to prevent abuse or errors.
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