Collective agreement

A collective agreement is an agreement between trade unions and employers. This agreement defines the obligations and rights of both employees and employers. For example, the collective agreement covers regulations on working hours, pay, special remuneration, vacation days and other working conditions.

Collective agreement and working hours

In connection with the collective agreement and working hours, it may, for example, contain provisions on the distribution of working hours, including provisions on fixed working hours or flexible working time models such as flexitime or part-time work. In addition, the collective agreement regarding working hours may contain the maximum limits for weekly working hours as well as the regulations for overtime and time off in lieu. These points in particular, which can be included in the collective agreement with regard to working hours, must always be compatible with the Working Hours Act. It is therefore crucial for companies to accurately record their employees' working hours in order to ensure compliance with the Working Hours Act and to correctly document overtime and extra hours, among other things.

Compliance with the Working Hours Act thanks to a collective agreement?

For this reason, the collective agreement can also contain specific provisions on the correct recording of working time in the company. It can define methods and tools for recording working time, including practical solutions for digital time recording. These measures are intended to make the process of recording working time clear, transparent and simple for everyone involved. Since September 13, 2022, there has been a mandatory recording of working time in Germany in accordance with a ruling by the Federal Labor Court - regardless of the respective collective agreement and individual working hours of individual employees. While all employees are obliged to document their working hours in accordance with this ruling, it is up to employers to introduce a system that enables employees to comply with this obligation to record their working hours.