One in Four German Workers Skips Breaks as Government Pushes Weekly Hour Limit

Early this week, Germany’s largest labour federation, the DGB, fired a stark warning: planned changes to the country’s working-time law could clear the way for 13-hour shifts. The union group insists existing rules already offer enough flexibility and that deregulation will hammer health and work-life balance. The warning comes as the coalition government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Labour Minister Bärbel Bas prepares to scrap the daily maximum working time in favour of a weekly ceiling. A draft bill is due in June.

The DGB’s alarm is rooted in fresh data from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA). A study of nearly 6,000 full-time employees, released Wednesday, found that 20 percent experience shortened rest periods of less than 11 hours at least once a month. Even more striking: one in four workers regularly misses their legally mandated breaks. Shift workers suffer most from so-called “quick returns” – insufficient time between shifts – and report significantly higher rates of health complaints. Researchers also warn that digital monitoring and algorithmic scheduling are making the problem worse by raising time pressure and cutting worker autonomy.

Evidence from academia backs the union’s concern. Olaf Struck of the University of Bamberg and the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung shows that concentration drops sharply after nine hours of work. From the tenth hour onward, the probability of errors and accidents rises drastically. Over the long term, regular overtime leads to chronic pain, metabolic diseases and depression. Currently, only 40 percent of employees are satisfied with their working hours, and more than half say they want shorter shifts.

The working-time debate raging in Germany mirrors the compliance pressures UK employers face under the Working Time Regulations and the Health & Safety at Work Act. Missed rest breaks and inadequate risk documentation can leave businesses exposed to enforcement action and fines. A free Health & Safety Toolkit provides ready-to-use risk assessments, checklists, and toolbox talks to help you meet your legal duties and protect your workforce. Download the free Health & Safety Toolkit

Away from the political debate, the logistics sector highlights the practical failure of existing rest rules. Truck drivers often cannot take their required breaks simply because there is no parking space. To tackle this, Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder launched the Parking Information Service (SID) on June 2. The app provides real-time occupancy data for all 1,850 rest areas along German motorways. The scale of the problem is enormous: between 25,000 and 40,000 parking spots are missing today, and freight traffic is projected to increase by 54 percent by 2051 compared with 2019. Without digital tools, the SID app may remain a band-aid on a chronic shortage.

Separately, from May 29, stricter regulations apply to safety delegates. Companies with 50 to 249 employees must now appoint at least one such officer. Firms with 20 to 49 staff only need one when specific hazards are present. Employers also remain obliged to display the Working Time Act (ArbZG) and the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) prominently – for example in break rooms – and face heavy fines if the posters are not up to date.

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