Germany to Mandate Digital Time Tracking as Overhaul of Working Hours Law Nears

Unions and health experts are raising alarms as the German government finalizes plans that could allow employees to work up to 13 hours in a single day. The proposed overhaul of the Arbeitszeitgesetz, expected to be presented by Labor Minister Bärbel Bas in June 2026, would replace the current daily cap with a weekly maximum — and require all employers to implement digital timekeeping.

Under the draft legislation, the longstanding daily limit of eight hours (with rare exceptions up to ten) would give way to a flexible system. Workers could clock 13 hours on a given day, but their weekly total would fall from 48 to 40 hours. The shift is designed to allow businesses to manage peak loads while ensuring that the overall working time does not balloon.

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Coalition negotiations have been intense. SPD parliamentary director Dirk Wiese said he expects a deal with the Union soon, with the Koalitionsausschuss scheduled to thrash out final details on 1 July. The reform responds in part to a 2019 European Court of Justice ruling and a 2022 Federal Labour Court decision that together pushed for transparent, electronic recording of hours.

Opposition has been swift and sharp. The Marburger Bund, which represents hospital doctors, warned that many physicians already average 55 hours per week — well above the new proposed cap — and that extending individual shifts would endanger patient safety. A study by the WSI economic research institute found that three-quarters of employees believe the changes will hurt their work-life balance. Research also shows that the risk of workplace accidents rises significantly after eight hours on the job.

Bärbel Bas's ministry plans to present the bill this June. The digital time recording requirement aims to eliminate unpaid overtime and create clarity for both sides. Employers would be obliged to track all hours electronically, a move that the hospitality sector and other industries have long resisted.

The DEHOGA hospitality association has been lobbying since February 2026 for relief from what it calls the "rigid eight-hour corset." More than half of its workers are on evening shifts, and around 70 percent work weekends. Flexibilization, the group argues, would better match actual demand.

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DIW president Marcel Fratzscher urged restraint. "More flexibility makes sense in specific situations, but it is no cure-all for structural problems," he said. "The real priority is raising productivity." The Left party has rejected the entire reform, while Union deputy parliamentary leader Günter Krings pushed for swift passage, citing business demands.

Some states are not waiting for Berlin. In Bremen, a pilot project will launch in August 2026 at nine schools, where teachers' hours will be digitally recorded until July 2027. The goal is to get a clearer picture of how workload is actually distributed. Meanwhile, the Handwerkskammer in Mannheim is organizing information sessions on digital time tracking in early July 2026, preparing small trades for the coming mandate.

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