In many companies, overtime is an integral part of everyday working life. An effective reduction in overtime is crucial in order to regulate the workload of employees and comply with legal requirements.
What is overtime?
Overtime occurs when employees work beyond their contractually agreed working hours. This additional working time may be due to operational requirements such as staff shortages or increased order volumes.
Legal regulations on overtime reduction
According to Section 3 of the Working Hours Act (ArbZG), the daily working time may not exceed eight hours. An extension to up to ten hours is permitted if compensation is made within six calendar months or 24 weeks so that an average of eight hours per working day is not exceeded. Overtime should therefore be reduced within this period in order to remain legally compliant.
Methods of reducing overtime
- Time off in lieu: Employees take paid time off to reduce accumulated overtime.
- Payment: Overtime is remunerated if this is regulated in the employment contract or collective agreement.
The specific structure of the reduction in overtime should be set out in employment contracts, works agreements or collective agreements.
Challenges in reducing overtime
- Lack of transparency: Without clear regulations, there can be confusion about the reduction period and the modalities.
- Planning effort: The organization of compensatory time off requires careful staff scheduling so as not to disrupt operations.
- Legal risks: Failure to reduce overtime properly can lead to violations of the Working Hours Act.
Digital support with time recording solutions from ZMI
ZMI’s time recording solutions support companies in recording overtime transparently and organizing the reduction efficiently. Functions such as automatic overtime calculation, individual reduction agreements and integrated approval processes enable legally compliant and employee-friendly implementation. ZMI’s solutions also offer seamless integration into existing HR systems, which reduces administrative effort and makes it easier to comply with legal requirements.