---
title: "Germany Working Time and Leave 2026 | Hours, Leave, Sick Pay"
description: "Germany working time 2026: 8 hours daily cap (extendable to 10 hours), 20 days annual leave, 6-week full-pay sick entitlement, and Elternzeit up to 36 months."
canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/germany/working-time-and-leave
---

Germany · Working time child

Served by Teamed vetted partner-entity network in Germany

# How do *Germany working time and leave* rules work in 2026?

Germany caps the working day at 8 hours, extendable to 10 hours on a compensated basis. Sick employees receive their full salary for 6 weeks before health-insurer cover takes over. No individual opt-out of the working-time cap exists.

Last reviewed 13 June 2026 · Germany guide

![A view of Berlin with the Brandenburg Gate and city skyline in soft morning light.](/images/country-guides/germany-working-time-and-leave.webp)

Illustration · Berlin, Germany

Answer.cite this

Germany working time is governed by the Arbeitszeitgesetz (Working Hours Act).

The daily limit is 8 hours. It can be extended to 10 hours if the average returns to 8 hours within six months. There is no individual opt-out.

Annual leave is 20 days on a five-day week. Public holidays are on top of that total, not bundled into it.

Sick employees receive full pay from the employer for 6 weeks. After that, the health insurer pays Krankengeld at roughly 70 percent of gross salary.

![A classic analogue wall clock mounted in a bright German office corridor.](/images/country-guides/germany-working-time-and-leave-polaroid-1.webp)

On the clock

## What is the Germany working-time limit?

The daily limit is 8 hours. The extension rule allows up to 10 hours on individual days.

There is no weekly hours figure stated in the law as a standalone number. The 48 hours figure is derived from eight hours across six working days. There is no individual opt-out of the cap.

The rules come from the [Arbeitszeitgesetz (ArbZG)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbzg/), specifically section 3. The daily cap of 8 hours can be extended to 10 hours only if:

- The average over a six-calendar-month or 24-week period does not exceed 8 hours
- A collective agreement or works agreement permits the extension
- No other provision of the ArbZG is breached

Germany does not allow individual workers to opt out of the working-time cap. This is a hard legal limit, enforced by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and state labour authorities (Landesarbeitsbehorden). Employers must keep working-time records for all employees.

### What counts toward daily working time

Working time includes all time during which the employee is required to be available to the employer and to perform work. It includes:

- Regular hours and required overtime
- Active on-call time (Bereitschaftsdienst)
- Travel between work sites (not home-to-work commuting)

It does not include breaks taken as genuine rest, or on-call standby periods (Rufbereitschaft) where the employee is free to rest at home.

## What rest periods are Germany workers entitled to?

The minimum daily rest between workdays is 11 hours. This is uninterrupted.

A break of at least 30 minutes is required after six hours of work. Breaks of 45 minutes apply after nine hours.

| Rest entitlement | Trigger | Minimum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Daily rest | Between every workday | 11 hours uninterrupted |
| Break after 6 hours | Working more than 6 hours | 30 minutes |
| Break after 9 hours | Working more than 9 hours | 45 minutes total |
| Weekly rest | Every week | Sunday rest (Sonntagsruhe); one full day off per week |
| Sunday work | Permitted sectors only | Compensatory rest day within 2 weeks |

Breaks must be taken as genuine rest away from the work task. They can be split into shorter intervals but no individual interval may be less than 15 minutes. Rest periods may not be placed at the beginning or end of working time.

The 11 hours daily rest requirement applies to all employees including those on shift work. Reductions to ten or nine hours are permitted under collective agreements in specific sectors (e.g., hospitals, broadcasting), but only if compensatory rest is given.

Night work is limited to a monthly average of 8 hours per night shift. Night workers have a right to a free medical assessment before assignment and annually thereafter.

## How does Germany annual leave work?

The minimum is 20 days per year on a five-day working week.

Public holidays are on top of the annual leave total. Germany does not bundle them.

The entitlement comes from the [Bundesurlaubsgesetz (BUrlG)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/burlg/). The statute sets the minimum at 24 Werktage (working days calculated on a six-day week basis). On a five-day working week, that converts to 20 days. Most employers offer 25 to 30 days in practice.

### How public holidays interact

German public holidays that fall on working days are granted as additional non-working days. They are not deducted from annual leave. An employee with 20 days of annual leave and 9 nationwide public holidays gets all of them on top.

The actual number of public holidays varies by state. Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg have more than the 9 that apply in all states. Employees working in those states receive additional days on top of the nationwide minimum.

### Carry-over rules

- Annual leave must generally be taken in the same calendar year it accrues.
- Carry-over is permitted until 31 March of the following year if the employee was unable to take leave for operational or personal reasons.
- Leave carried forward lapses on 31 March unless a further extension is agreed in writing or arises from illness.
- If illness prevented the employee from taking leave, the entitlement does not expire until 15 months after the end of the accrual year. This rule comes from EU case law applied in Germany.

### Holiday pay calculation

Holiday pay is based on average earnings over the 13-week period before leave. It includes base salary and regular variable components such as commission or shift allowances. Holiday pay at the statutory rate is the legal floor; collective agreements and individual contracts often specify a higher calculation base.

## How many Germany public holidays are there?

Germany has 9 public holidays that apply in every state.

Individual states add more. Bavaria has the highest count, with several additional Catholic observances.

| Public holiday | Date | All states |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Year's Day (Neujahr) | 1 January | Yes |
| Good Friday (Karfreitag) | Varies (April) | Yes |
| Easter Monday (Ostermontag) | Varies (April) | Yes |
| Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit) | 1 May | Yes |
| Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) | Varies (May/June) | Yes |
| Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) | Varies (May/June) | Yes |
| German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) | 3 October | Yes |
| Christmas Day (1. Weihnachtstag) | 25 December | Yes |
| Boxing Day (2. Weihnachtstag) | 26 December | Yes |

State-only public holidays include Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) in Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, and others; Epiphany (Heilige Drei Konige) on 6 January in Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt; Reformation Day (Reformationstag) on 31 October in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia; and All Saints' Day (Allerheiligen) on 1 November in Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.

When hiring across German states, employers should account for the state where the employee works. An employee in Bavaria will have more public holidays than one in Berlin. There is no premium pay requirement for working on public holidays under federal law; any enhancement is contractual.

## Parental leave in Germany

Germany offers Elternzeit (parental leave) of up to 36 months per parent per child.

Mothers are additionally protected by a maternity shield of 6 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth.

### Maternity protection (Mutterschutz)

The [Mutterschutzgesetz (MuSchG)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/muschg_2018/) prohibits the employer from requiring a pregnant employee to work during the 6 weeks before the expected birth date. After birth, she may not be required to work for 8 weeks. For premature births or multiple births the post-birth period extends to 12 weeks. These are absolute bans, not leave entitlements. The employee cannot waive them.

During the maternity protection period, the employee receives Mutterschaftsgeld (maternity benefit). Statutory Mutterschaftsgeld is paid jointly by the statutory health insurer (up to EUR 13 per calendar day) and the employer, who tops up to the net average daily earnings. The employer top-up is reimbursed by the Ausgleichskasse (employers' liability pool).

### Elternzeit (parental leave)

After the maternity protection period, either parent or both parents together may take Elternzeit under the [Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz (BEEG)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/beeg/). Each parent can take up to 36 months of Elternzeit per child. Both parents can take leave simultaneously. Up to 24 months of Elternzeit may be transferred to any period before the child's eighth birthday.

### Elterngeld (parental benefit)

Elterngeld is a replacement income benefit paid by the state, not the employer. The standard rate is 65 percent of the pre-birth net income, up to a ceiling. Elterngeld Plus allows parents to receive a lower benefit for twice as long, supporting part-time work alongside parenting. The employer has no direct Elterngeld liability; it is administered by the state Elterngeldstelle.

### No dedicated paternity leave

Germany has no statutory paternity leave as a separate category. Fathers and non-birth parents access the same Elternzeit pool. There is no short paid paternity leave right equivalent to the UK model. The employer is not required to pay during Elternzeit; the state Elterngeld is the income replacement.

### Return to work

Employees returning from Elternzeit have the right to their previous role, or to a comparable role with equivalent pay and conditions. Dismissal during Elternzeit requires prior approval from the competent authority (Landesbehordenreglung).

## Statutory sick pay in Germany

German sick pay works in two stages. The employer pays full salary for 6 weeks.

After that, the statutory health insurer pays Krankengeld at around 70 percent of gross salary for up to 72 weeks.

Stage one is employer-funded. The [Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (EFZG)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/entgfg/) requires employers to continue paying the employee's full contractual salary for 6 weeks of incapacity. There are no waiting days. Payment starts from day one of verified illness. There is no fixed statutory weekly rate in euros; the rate is the employee's own contractual pay.

BMAS · Continued payment of remuneration during illness

Under the Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, employers must pay employees their full contractual salary for the first six weeks of illness. The entitlement resets for a new illness after four weeks, or a prior illness if the employee has been well for at least six months before the relapse.

Source: [Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS): Labour Law](https://www.bmas.de/EN/Labour/Labour-Law/labour-law.html)

### Stage two: Krankengeld from the health insurer

Once the 6 weeks of employer-paid sick leave ends, the statutory health insurer (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) takes over and pays Krankengeld. The statutory rate is 70 percent of gross earnings but capped at 90 percent of net earnings. Krankengeld is payable for up to 78 weeks within a three-year block for the same illness, net of the employer-pay period, giving a maximum insurer-pay period of about 72 weeks.

### Qualifying conditions

- The employer-pay obligation attaches once the employee has been employed for at least four weeks.
- For employees in their first four weeks, the statutory health insurer pays from day one.
- The employee must be incapacitated by illness. Sick leave for other reasons (e.g., caring for a sick child) is governed by different rules.
- A medical certificate (Arbeitsunfahigkeitsbescheinigung, the AU) is required. Employers can demand it from day one; the default employee right is to self-certify for the first three calendar days.

### Reset rule

The 6 weeks entitlement resets for the same illness if the employee has been well and working for at least six months after the last period of incapacity. It resets without any waiting period if a different illness causes the new incapacity.

### Employer cost implication

The full-salary continuation for 6 weeks is an employer cost. Unlike UK Statutory Sick Pay, there is no flat weekly rate and no rebate. The cost equals the employee's actual salary. For employers building a cost model, the employer-side social contributions continue to be due on continued pay during the first six weeks as normal.

1. Set the daily hours limit and document extensions The working day is capped at eight hours under the Arbeitszeitgesetz. If you need to extend to ten hours on individual days, confirm that a collective or works agreement permits it and that the average returns to eight hours within six months. Keep working-time records for all employees as required by law.
2. Schedule and record rest periods Ensure every employee gets eleven uninterrupted hours of daily rest between workdays. Build in a minimum 30-minute break after six hours of work and 45 minutes total after nine hours. Sunday rest applies; if an employee works on a Sunday in a permitted sector, assign a compensatory rest day within two weeks.
3. Calculate and grant annual leave The statutory minimum is 20 days per year on a five-day working week under the Bundesurlaubsgesetz. Grant public holidays on top of that total, not bundled into it. Track carry-over carefully: unused leave must be taken by 31 March of the following year unless illness prevented the employee from taking it, in which case it does not expire until 15 months after the end of the accrual year.
4. Manage sick pay from day one When an employee is ill, pay their full contractual salary from day one for up to six weeks. There are no waiting days and no fixed weekly rate; the cost equals the employee's actual salary. A medical certificate (AU) can be demanded from day one, though employees have a default right to self-certify for the first three calendar days. After six weeks, the statutory health insurer pays Krankengeld at around 70 percent of gross salary.
5. Handle parental and maternity leave Do not require a pregnant employee to work during the six weeks before the expected birth date or eight weeks after birth; these are mandatory protections, not optional leave. After the post-birth protection period, either parent may take Elternzeit of up to 36 months per parent per child. The employer does not pay during Elternzeit; state Elterngeld provides the income replacement. An employee returning from Elternzeit has the right to their previous or a comparable role.

## How does Teamed handle Germany employment for you?

Teamed becomes your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in Germany for [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency.

Payroll, sick-pay continuation, parental leave administration, and the full German working-time compliance stack run on **one platform**.

**Real HR and legal experts** manage your German working-time obligations, from the daily-hours recording requirement through every Elternzeit notification and sick-pay continuation period. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice.

The six-week full-salary sick-pay obligation is one of the first questions international employers ask about Germany. We calculate it into your cost model before hire and administer every AU certificate and Krankengeld handoff for you. EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on **one platform**.

Run the [Employer Cost calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/employer-cost) to see total employment cost including social insurance and sick-pay risk in Germany. Start from the Germany hiring overview. Key sources: [Arbeitszeitgesetz (ArbZG)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbzg/), [Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (EFZG)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/entgfg/), and [BMAS Labour Law guidance](https://www.bmas.de/EN/Labour/Labour-Law/labour-law.html).

## Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum working day in Germany?

The standard limit is 8 hours per day under the Arbeitszeitgesetz. It can be extended to 10 hours on individual days, provided the average over a six-month or 24-week window returns to 8 hours. A collective or works agreement must authorise the extension. There is no individual opt-out. Employers must keep working-time records.

How much annual leave are employees in Germany entitled to?

The minimum is 20 days per year on a five-day working week. This comes from the Bundesurlaubsgesetz. Public holidays are on top of that total. Germany has 9 public holidays that apply nationwide, plus additional state-level holidays depending on where the employee works. Most employers grant 25 to 30 days in practice.

How does sick pay work in Germany?

The employer pays the employee's full contractual salary for 6 weeks of illness. There is no waiting period. After that, the statutory health insurer pays Krankengeld at around 70 percent of gross earnings, for up to 78 weeks within a three-year window. The employer-pay obligation resets after six months of uninterrupted work following the last sick period.

Does Germany have paternity leave?

Germany has no statutory paternity leave as a separate category. Both parents access the shared Elternzeit (parental leave) pool of up to 36 months per parent per child. Fathers and non-birth parents can take Elternzeit immediately after birth. State Elterngeld provides income replacement during parental leave; the employer does not pay during Elternzeit.

How long is maternity leave in Germany?

German law uses a maternity protection model rather than a single leave period. The employer cannot require a pregnant employee to work for 6 weeks before the expected birth date or 8 weeks after birth. These are mandatory protections, not optional leave. After the post-birth protection period ends, the mother can take Elternzeit of up to 36 months.

Teamed Legal Operations

The six-week full-pay sick entitlement is what surprises US and UK buyers most. In the UK, SSP is a flat weekly rate the employer pays out of pocket. In Germany, the employer pays the employee's actual salary in full for six weeks. On a senior hire that is a material cost. We put it in the cost model before the contract is signed.

A note from Tom Price-Daniel

Germany caps the working day at 8 hours. There is no opt-out.  
Sick employees get their full salary for 6 weeks before the insurer steps in. That is an employer liability, not a flat weekly rate.  
Know both before your first German hire.

Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed

## Related Germany guides

- Hiring in Germany, overviewparent
- [Germany hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/germany/hiring-guide)sibling
- [Germany termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/germany/termination-and-severance)sibling
- [Germany tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/germany/tax-and-payroll)sibling
- [Germany employer cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/germany/cost-breakdown)sibling
- [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core
- [Run the employer-cost numbers](https://www.teamed.global/tools/employer-cost)tool
- [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA

A note on this page.

This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify current requirements with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the relevant state labour authorities, or speak to a qualified professional, before relying on any specific framework.