Weekend Work Rules Relaxed: German Bakeries and Libraries Get More Sunday Hours
Published on 07/06/2026 at 16:52 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A sweeping overhaul of Germany’s Sunday-work rules is set to take effect in 2027, granting bakeries up to eight hours of operation and public libraries six hours on the last day of the week. The reform, part of a 34-point package agreed by the coalition committee on 1 July, amends Paragraph 10 of the national Working Hours Act.
Under current law, bakers and confectioners may only work three hours on a Sunday. The new ceiling of eight represents a major loosening. Yet the picture is less straightforward than it first appears: while the federal government’s change to working-time law is binding nationwide, each state still controls shop-opening hours. Nordrhein-Westfalen already allowed bakeries to stay open up to five hours on a Sunday; Bavaria kept the limit at three. The labour ministry in Baden-Württemberg has confirmed that the federal amendment will carry direct legal force across all Länder irrespective of those local rules.
As Germany debates the health impact of longer Sunday shifts, UK employers must also navigate their own health and safety obligations. Many are unaware of missing documentation that could lead to costly fines. A free Health & Safety Toolkit provides ready-to-use risk assessments, checklists, and toolbox talks to help you comply with UK regulations. Download the free Health & Safety Toolkit
Public libraries have long argued that Sunday closures put them at a disadvantage compared with other cultural venues. From January 2027 they will be allowed to deploy staff for up to six hours. The German Library Association welcomed the step but warned it fell short: museums and sports facilities face no rigid time caps on Sunday work. Six hours, the association says, still limits genuine cultural access.
Business and labour voices split sharply over the plan. Jörg Dittrich, president of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts, called it a necessary modernisation. Stefan Genth of the German Retail Federation (HDE) went further, demanding a complete free-for-all on Sunday opening hours. Opposition came from the Central Association of the German Bakery Trade, which noted that the reform targets production time, not sales hours, so shoppers may see little real change. The association also pointed to a planned rise in the flat-rate tax on mini-jobs from two to five percent, adding to payroll costs. The Verdi union warned the longer weekend shifts would pile health strain on workers.
The amendments still require approval from both the Bundestag and the Bundesrat before they can take effect at the turn of 2027.
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