Rest period

Rest time helps employees to regenerate. Health and safety in the workplace can be guaranteed by adhering to the rest period. In addition, accidents due to lack of concentration and exhaustion can be effectively prevented in this way. The rest period basically defines the period between the end of the daily working time and the resumption of work. There is therefore a difference between rest time and break time. The latter refers to interruptions during regular working hours.

What does the Working Hours Act say about rest periods?

Paragraph five of the Working Hours Act regulates the rest period. According to this, employees must have an uninterrupted rest period of at least eleven hours after the end of the daily working time. This fixed period between rest and working time can be shortened by one hour in various work areas if necessary. These sectors include hospitals, care facilities, restaurants, transport companies, broadcasting, agriculture and animal husbandry. These sectors are often characterized by irregular working hours due to the continuous nature of their work. However, here too, the shortened rest period is only permitted under certain conditions. For example, it may only amount to one hour within four weeks or within one calendar month. In addition, according to the Working Hours Act, another rest period must be extended accordingly so that it is at least twelve hours. In medical facilities such as hospitals, shortened rest periods can alternatively be compensated by on-call duty, which does not account for more than half of the rest period. These call-outs can be made up at other times.

Comply with rest periods and working hours with digital time recording software

In principle, however, compliance with rest periods and working hours is highly relevant to occupational health and safety, particularly in shift work and in physically demanding work areas. This becomes even more important against the backdrop of an increasingly ageing workforce. By taking appropriate account of the Working Time Act on rest and working time, employers can therefore both improve the safety of their working environment and promote the performance and well-being of their employees. A simple and effective way to ensure this is through a practical digital time and attendance software solution such as Krutec WEB, which enables transparent and automated management of rest and working time.