When arranging working hours, the company is bound by the Working Hours Act (ArbZG) as well as by collective agreements, works agreements and the Trade Regulations (including those relating to Sunday work). The Working Hours Act stipulates, among other things, which working hours may not be exceeded.
When structuring working hours, both the individual interests of employees (e.g. switching to times when traffic is less congested; as large blocks of free time as possible; as much self-determined working time as possible) and the requirements of the company (e.g. cost reduction; flexible use of employees when orders fluctuate; machine utilization, guaranteeing equal rights for all employees) should be taken into account. Many companies balance out seasonal fluctuations in orders by setting up or reducing working time accounts.
The working time models commonly used today are: fixed working hours, flexible working hours, shift work, bandwidth model.
Another starting point for structuring working hours is the individual employment history, with a more flexible working life (e.g. through part-time retirement or the creation of a time credit), which enables an earlier retirement from working life.
See also:
Career and family; motivation; work stress
Reference to QET guidelines:
Q07 Human resources management; Q05 Personal responsibility; Q13 Succession; E06 Occupational safety; E07 Stress prevention; E09 Working hours; E10 Work-life balance