Verfahrensbeschreibungen

Procedure descriptions

Apply for longer daily working hours

Under certain conditions, as an employer you can obtain an exceptional authorisation for longer daily working hours for employees in your company.

You must submit an application for this.

A deviation from the regulations on working hours is possible for

  • continuous shift operations
  • Construction and assembly sites
  • Seasonal and campaign operations

For continuous shift operations, you may be authorised to work longer daily working hours in order to obtain additional shifts off.

Longer working hours in excess of 8 hours can also be authorised for construction and assembly sites.

For seasonal and campaign businesses, you may be authorised to work longer daily working hours for the duration of the season or campaign.

The extension of working hours must be compensated by a corresponding reduction at other times.

For health and safety reasons, daily working hours of more than 12 hours are generally not permitted.

Exceptions are at the discretion of the competent authority.

You are not entitled to an exemption authorisation.

Responsible department

City or district

Details

Prerequisite

You can apply to extend the daily working hours of your employees under the following conditions:

  • For continuous shift operation, if additional shifts off are achieved. Additional shifts off are deemed to exist if the extension of working hours means that the employees concerned have more consecutive days off than before.
  • For construction and assembly sites, particularly relevant if the place of work is far away from the employees' place of residence and the employees are guaranteed a correspondingly longer rest period at their place of residence for the extended working hours at the construction or assembly site.
  • For your seasonal or campaign operation, if there is an exceptional workload for the particular season that cannot be absorbed by other organisational measures.

Procedure

You can apply for authorisation for deviations from shift work in writing.

  • You submit an informal application.
  • You send this to the local authority responsible for occupational health and safety, including the necessary documents.
  • If the documents or information required for processing are incomplete, you will be contacted by the processing department.
  • The local competent authority will review the application.
  • Once the official review has been completed, you will receive a notice of approval or a notice of rejection.
  • The local authority responsible will send you the decision by e-mail or post.
  • The notification of fees will usually be sent to you later.

The decision of the competent occupational health and safety authority is made at its own discretion.
This decision involves weighing up the interests of protecting the health and safety of employees against the operational interests of the employer.

Deadlines

  • none
  • If you have submitted an application, extended working hours are only permitted once you have received authorisation. Retroactive authorisation cannot be granted.

Required documents

  • For all companies:
    • Details of the activity
    • Number of employees for whom a licence is to be issued
    • Contact person in the company with contact details
    • Risk assessment, in particular with regard to mental stress caused by longer working hours
    • Statement from the company doctor
    • Statement from the works council (if available)
  • Additionally for continuous shift operations:
    • Duty or shift schedules showing that the extension of working hours will result in additional shifts off.
    • Schedules for day and night shifts or shifts, showing in particular the opportunities for breaks.
  • Additionally for construction and assembly sites:
    • Information on the nature and severity of the work
    • Organisation of working hours
    • Distance between place of work and place of residence
    • Duration of rest period at home
  • Additionally for seasonal and campaign companies:
    • Information on the season or campaign
    • Organisation of working hours
    • Period in which working hours are reduced

Costs

A fee is payable for the granting of authorisation or the rejection of your application. The fees are based on the municipal fee schedule.

Processing time

The processing time depends on the amount of work involved in the examination. As a rule, you will receive your decision a few weeks after you have submitted all the documents.

Miscellaneous

none

Legal basis

Arbeitszeitgesetz (ArbZG):

  • § 15 Bewilligung, Ermächtigung

Release note

Machine generated, based on the German release by: Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg, 04.06.2025