Can the works council demand the introduction of working time recording?

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The mandatory recording of working hours has become the focus of companies and HR managers at the latest since the ruling of the Federal Labor Court (BAG) on September 13, 2022. While many companies are still busy with the technical and organizational implementation, the question arises as to the co-determination rights of the works council – in particular the right of initiative and right of inspection. This article offers HR decision-makers and company managers a compact overview of the current legal situation and provides practical recommendations for introducing a time recording system in line with the works council and legislation.

Contents

Current legal framework for recording working time

In its ruling dated 13/09/2022 (Ref. 1 ABR 22/21 ) clarified that employers are legally obliged to introduce a system for recording working hours. This obligation arises from Section 3 (2) No. 1 ArbSchG – interpreted in light of the ECJ ruling from 2019. This is not only about recording attendance time, but also about ensuring that statutory working time regulations such as maximum working hours, break regulations and rest periods are observed.

The works council’s right of initiative – what is permitted?

The Hamm Regional Labor Court (Judgment of 27.07.2021, Ref. ) had initially ruled that the works council could assert a right of initiative to introduce an electronic Time & Attendance system. This meant that the works council could have actively demanded the introduction of such a system, even if the employer was not planning to do so.

However, this legal opinion was revised by the Federal Labor Court in the above-mentioned decision: Since employers are legally obliged to introduce Time & Attendance, the works council’s right of initiative for the initial introduction of a system no longer applies.

Nevertheless, the works council has a right of co-determination in accordance with Section 87 (1) No. 6 BetrVG – in particular with regard to the specific design of Time & Attendance, e.g. the selection of technical systems (e.g. terminal, web interface or app), the question of whether trust-based working time or to-the-minute recording is used, the regulation of breaks, correction processes and documentation.

Right of inspection of the works council: transparency in working hours

In addition to the right of co-determination, the works council has the right under Section 80 (2) BetrVG to inspect employees’ working time records in order to monitor compliance with statutory and collectively agreed working time requirements, to identify overloads or systematic violations, to point out grievances and, if necessary, to demand remedial action. This right of inspection is particularly important in the case of mobile forms of work, mobile working or home office, as well as in the case of trust-based working hours or a high degree of flexibility in everyday working life.

Recommendations for HR decision-makers

To ensure that companies are on the safe side – legally, technically and organizationally – it is advisable to take the following steps:

  1. Prepare legally compliant implementation: Check the applicable requirements from the Occupational Health and Safety Act and current case law. Develop a concept for Time & Attendance that meets the minimum legal standards.
  2. Involve the works council at an early stage: Involve the works council in the planning for the introduction and selection of the system. Develop a company agreement on the design of the Time & Attendance system together.
  3. Select the right time recording system: Pay attention to user-friendliness, customizability and data protection compliance. Consider hybrid forms of work, mobile use and interfaces to HR software.
  4. Transparent communication within the company: Inform your employees about the introduction in good time. Train managers and teams in how to use the new solution.
  5. Don’t forget data protection: The recording of working times is personal – make sure you comply with the GDPR. Clear deletion periods, access rights and documentation are essential.

Conclusion

The introduction of a time recording system is not a “nice-to-have”, but a legal necessity. For HR decision-makers and companies, this means not only taking action, but also cooperating strategically with the works council or staff council. While the right of initiative is restricted, the right of co-determination remains in place – and the right of inspection strengthens the works council’s monitoring function. With a well thought-out implementation, you not only create legal compliance, but also trust, transparency and efficiency in everyday working life.

Note: This blog article does not constitute legal advice and, in particular, cannot replace individual legal advice.

When will the ECJ ruling make the recording of working hours mandatory?

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In this article you will learn about the effects of the BMAS draft law, the BAG ruling and the ECJ ruling on working time recording:

Contents

April 2025: Does the 2025 coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD include an amendment to the time recording obligation?

The coalition agreement, which was presented by the CDU/CSU and SPD on April 9, 2025, also includes planned changes in the area of working time recording. The focus is on the mandatory introduction of time recording for all companies. This measure aims to promote transparency and fairness in the workplace. Employees are to be better protected by accurately documenting their actual working hours. The future federal government plans to use this obligation not only to strengthen employees’ rights, but also to ensure compliance with labor law provisions.

What specific regulations on Time & Attendance are included in the 2025 coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD?

The 2025 coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD places greater focus on Time & Attendance. The three parties emphasize the need to make working hours more transparent and comprehensible. It is expected that companies will be obliged to implement precise systems for recording their employees’ working hours. This regulation follows the rulings of the ECJ from 2019 and the BAG from 2022 and aims to prevent working time violations and strengthen employees’ rights.

In addition, digital solutions are to be promoted in order to minimize the administrative burden for both employers and employees. These measures should help to make the labor market more modern and fairer and improve the work-life balance. However, it remains to be seen when these plans will be implemented as planned and what specific form they will take.

Are there transitional periods for certain companies?

The Coalition Agreement 2025 states that transitional periods are planned for the introduction of mandatory Time & Attendance. These periods are intended to give small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular the opportunity to gradually adapt to the new requirements.

It is expected that the deadlines will vary depending on company size and sector – this was already part of the BMAS draft bill from 2023. The aim is to keep the administrative burden on companies as low as possible while ensuring that all companies can implement the new regulations within a reasonable timeframe. The exact details and conditions of the transition periods will be specified in further legal regulations or ordinances.

What does this mean for trust-based working hours?

The Coalition Agreement 2025 places great emphasis on the introduction of mandatory Time & Attendance. This means an adjustment for trust-based working hours, as companies are now obliged to systematically document their employees’ working hours. This could affect the flexibility of trust-based working hours, at least to the extent that employees will have to record their hours and their position more precisely, including the legally prescribed rest breaks.

However, trust-based working hours are to remain in place in order to give employees the freedom to organize their working day. The focus is on increasing transparency and fairness to ensure that working hours are recorded correctly and overtime can be remunerated appropriately. Employers are required to implement suitable Time & Attendance systems that comply with legal requirements while taking into account the needs of employees. This could lead to increased use of digital tools to make Time & Attendance efficient.

What other regulations on working hours does the coalition agreement provide for?

The Coalition Agreement 2025 provides for the maximum working hours to be made more flexible in order to meet the requirements of the modern working world. Under the current legal situation, employees’ working hours on weekdays may not exceed eight hours in accordance with Section 3 ArbZG. It can only be extended to up to ten hours if an average of eight hours per working day is not exceeded within six calendar months or within 24 weeks.

In future, a maximum weekly working time would enable employees to work more than the maximum working time of 10 hours per day and to balance their working hours over the course of a working week. The aim is to enable a better work-life balance. However, the exact form of these regulations is still being negotiated and depends on further talks between the coalition partners

How can companies prepare for the new requirements?

A thorough analysis of the existing working time regulations in the organization is already advisable now in order to think about necessary adjustments that will result from specific legal regulations that will follow the coalition agreement. A modern software solution such as ZMI can help to optimally map flexible working time models and make the processes for recording attendances and absences more efficient.

April 2023: The draft bill of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs

In light of the decisions of the ECJ (judgment of 14.05.2019) and the Federal Labor Court (13.09.2022, Ref. 1 ABR 22/21), the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) presented a draft amendment to the Working Hours Act in April 2023. In particular, this should regulate the already mandatory recording of working hours in more detail.

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What exactly are employers supposed to document in future according to the government draft?

Section 16 (2) ArbZG-E states: “The employer is obliged to electronically record the start, end and duration of the employee’s daily working time on the day the work is performed.” This means that employers remain responsible for the proper documentation of time recording. Even if they can leave the obligation to record time to the employees, employers must ensure that they are aware of any violations.

Working time must be recorded daily. The daily recording obligation can only be deviated from by collective agreement, company or service agreement, whereby the time must have been recorded after 7 days at the latest.

Will electronic recording become mandatory?

The principle should be electronic time recording. Without making any concrete specifications here, the draft bill makes electronic recording mandatory. This means that standard time recording devices or systems, apps or other electronic tables can be used.

Are there any exceptions to the obligation to keep electronic Time & Attendance records?

There should be an exception for small businesses: Companies with fewer than 10 employees are to be exempt from the obligation to use electronic time recording. The same is to apply to foreign employers without a permanent establishment in Germany if fewer than 10 employees are posted to Germany, and to private households. In addition, exceptions to the electronic form can be agreed in collective agreements, works agreements or service agreements.

So what about trust-based working hours in the future?

The BMAS defines trust-based working hours as flexible working time models in which the start and end of contractually agreed working hours are not fixed, but are left to the employees. This should continue to be possible, although the documentation obligation should remain in place.

Does the time recording obligation apply to all employees without exception?

The draft law only provides for an exception to the documentation obligation to a very limited extent: By collective agreement or on the basis of a collective agreement in a company or service agreement, it should be possible to agree that the obligation to keep records does not apply to employees “for whom the total working time is not measured or cannot be determined in advance or can be determined by the employees themselves due to the special characteristics of the work performed.”

When will the amended recording obligation apply?

In principle, the amended recording obligation is to apply on the first day of the quarter following the announcement. However, to enable companies to switch to electronic time recording, there is to be a transitional period of one year after the law comes into force for the electronic form of time recording. During this transitional period, time recording “in paper form” should still be sufficient. Depending on the size of the company, longer transition periods are also to be provided for: a transition period of 2 years is to be granted for less than 250 employees and 5 years for less than 50 employees.

What happens if employers violate the obligation to keep records?

Fines of up to 30,000 euros may be imposed for breaches of proper documentation

What is a suitable system for recording working hours?

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) already specified in its ruling in 2019 that the recording must be reliable, objective as well as easily accessible. According to the reasoning of the Federal Labor Court, the use of electronic time recording is not mandatory. Documentation in paper form is also expressly possible. However, the system must be audit-proof and practicable for the company and the employees so that the times are actually recorded. The obligation to record time can also be delegated to the employees. It can be assumed that the German legislator will also not aim for narrow specifications in the implementation. However, the use of a modern software solution for digital time recording and absence management significantly streamlines processes through an intuitive recording process and digital integration of all employee groups in all industries. For example, construction workers who book at the terminal on site, sales employees who book in their car via their smartphone app, or commercial employees in their home office who conveniently record their working hours via an employee portal. Ideally, the recorded data is automatically evaluated and transferred directly to the payroll system (such as DATEV) by digital means. This results in less bureaucracy and an elimination of manual administrative processes.

Your company does not yet have a time recording system that complies with the BAG ruling?

ZMI offers you flexible solutions for recording working time. We will also find an individual solution for your company:

  • Time recording at the stationary terminal,
  • at the PC workstation or
  • mobile with a variety of end devices

Would you rather call one of our experts?
Call us: +49 9704 60392-100.

Discover the ZMI time tracking solution now

September 2022: Federal Labor Court sees mandatory working time recording

In its ruling (1 ABR 22/21) dated September 13, 2022, the Federal Labor Court (BAG) in Erfurt states that employers under Section 3 para. 2 No. 1 ArbSchG are obliged to introduce a system with which the working time worked by employees can be recorded. In doing so, the Federal Labor Court refers to the interpretation of the German Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG) in conformity with European law and thus to the ECJ ruling on the recording of working hours from May 2019. The full reasons for the BAG’s judgment have now been available since December 2, 2022.

At the same time, flexible working hours and work locations are being implemented across the board in German companies and organizations. This gives rise to new areas of conflict, particularly in the context of the German Working Hours Act (ArbZG). Kathrin Reitner, Partner and Head of Employment Law at Grant Thornton Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, and Daniel Vogler, Managing Director of ZMI GmbH, spoke about this area of tension and its impact on HR work in our ZMI #HR Inside Talk on 22.09.2022.

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ZMI #HR Inside Talk on the ruling of the German Federal Labor Court (BAG) on the obligation to record working hours with Kathrin Reitner, Partner and Head of Labor Law at Grant Thornton Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH and Daniel Vogler, CEO of ZMI GmbH.

What exactly did the Federal Labor Court (BAG) decide on 13.09.2022?

The Federal Labor Court’s ruling on time recording came as a great surprise, as the original issue was whether the
works council has the right of initiative to introduce a time recording system at the employer’s premises. In the course of the decision on this question, the BAG – according to the press release available so far – stated that employers must have a system with which employees can record their working hours.

On the basis of which applicable statutory regulations does the Federal Labor Court conclude that the recording of working hours is mandatory?

Up to now, the German Working Hours Act (ArbZG) has only stipulated the obligation to document overtime and work on Sundays and public holidays. Further obligations to record working hours may arise from individual legal standards, such as the Minimum Wage Act or the Act to Combat Clandestine Employment, or from a collective bargaining agreement or a works agreement concluded between the employer and the employee.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) had already ruled in May 2019 that companies in the EU must create systems in the future with which employees can measure their working time. Whereby the implementation should be left to the national legislator. So far, however, the legislature in Germany has remained inactive and has not transposed the ruling into national law.

The Federal Labor Court (BAG) has now created facts and referred to a norm from the Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG), which states that employers :inside must provide a suitable organization and the necessary means to comply with occupational health and safety regulations. From this, the BAG deduces that employers are obliged to introduce a system with which employees can record working hours. The BAG bases this on the ECJ ruling from 2019, which specifically means that recording working hours is mandatory.

What will change as a result of the Federal Labor Court’s ruling on time recording?

There are no changes to the working time regulations. The working time regulations were also to be observed and complied with beforehand. However, the Working Hours Act previously only required documentation of overtime and work on Sundays and public holidays. According to the BAG’s reasoning, the new ruling means that the documentation obligation now extends to all working hours.

When will working time recording become mandatory in Germany?

There is already an objective legal obligation to set up an (audit-proof) system to record the beginning and end and thus the duration of the working hours, including overtime, of the employees in the company. Employers should therefore promptly consider how to document employees’ working hours. The interpretation of occupational health and safety regulations in conformity with European law already results in an obligation to record working hours. Employers may also delegate the duty to record time to their employees.

Does the ruling of the Federal Labor Court mean an end to trust-based working time?

There is no final clarity on this issue yet. However, with regard to the ruling of the Federal Labor Court and also the ECJ ruling from 2019, the issue is that working time is controlled. A core element of trust-based working time, on the other hand, is that the working time of employees is not controlled. Strictly speaking, the ruling of the Federal Labor Court therefore contradicts the basic idea of trust-based working time.

Trust-based working time models can provide a great deal of flexibility, but on the other hand they also entail the risk of work overload. Particularly in industries and workplaces that already offer a high degree of flexibility in terms of working hours and location, the use of a digital time tracking tool is a real benefit for employees and employers. After all, the recording of working hours ensures that activities on often very fragmented working days ultimately become transparent and comprehensible for both sides. Trust-based working time and trust-based recording of working time are therefore not mutually exclusive.

Is a handwritten timesheet also a form of time recording or does it necessarily have to be done digitally?

In principle, a handwritten time sheet documenting the beginning and end of working hours and rest breaks is also sufficient. However, this manual method of recording working hours is only attractive at first glance, as it involves massive additional costs – just like recording working hours in Excel.

Do all employees have to record their working hours or are certain groups, such as field staff, exempt?

The case law does not distinguish between employee :inside in the office and field service. In this respect, working hours must also be documented, regardless of the place of work. Recording options adapted to the work situation or the workplace, such as a time recording terminal in the company, an employee portal on their own PC – also in the home office – or a mobile app for smartphone or tablet in the field enable continuous digital working time recording in real time, which fits the individual situation of the employee. Nothing can be inferred from the reasons for the judgment with regard to executive employees. However, there is much to suggest that they will continue to be exempt from the timekeeping requirement.

Can complications arise if only the start and end of work, but no breaks, are actively recorded?

On this issue, it remains to be seen to what extent the legislature will specifically regulate the recording obligation. However, it is already common practice today to deduct the break times that employees have to observe in order to encourage employees to actually observe the rest breaks. The automatic deduction of the minimum break in accordance with the Working Hours Act can be easily stored in software for the digital recording of working hours. Reasons for the Ruling

Free Checklist Digital Time Recording

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    The ECJ ruling on the recording of working time

    The ECJ’s ruling on the recording of working hours raises eyebrows

    Back in May 2019, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided that companies in the EU must record all hours worked by their employees in the future. Although the German legislature has not yet transferred the ruling into national law, it is already clear that the landmark ruling goes beyond the legal situation that has been binding in Germany to date and will change German labor law. In addition, there are initial court decisions based on the ECJ ruling, such as the Emden Labor Court. In this situation, the question regularly arises as to which regulations actually apply and what the ECJ ruling on the recording of working hours means for companies. In the Corona pandemic, this issue is becoming even more critical, particularly due to the topics of short-time work and home office.

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    ZMI #HR Inside Talk about Home Office, Mobile Working and the Working Time Act with Sarna Röser, Dr. Laura Krings, Eva Grünbauer, Pascal Kober MdB and Daniel Vogler.

    What regulations are in place so far?

    Currently, the German Working Hours Act (ArbZG) only stipulates the obligation to document overtime and work on Sundays and public holidays. Further obligations to record working hours may arise from individual legal standards, such as the Minimum Wage Act or the Act to Combat Clandestine Employment, or from a collective bargaining agreement or a works agreement concluded between the employer and the employee. In addition, the works council in companies under § 80 1 No. 1 of the Works Council Constitution Act (BetrVG) that the laws and regulations applicable for the benefit of the employees are implemented. These include, among others, the requirements of the Working Hours Act. However, there has not yet been a comprehensive obligation for companies to record the working hours of their employees.

    What will change in the future?

    German lawmakers will have to amend the Working Hours Act (ArbZG) accordingly in accordance with the ECJ ruling or pass an additional law requiring employers in the future to record the total working hours of their employees using an objective and reliable system. So far, however, no details are known as to what the concrete legislative design will look like. A regulation is no longer expected before the federal election in the fall of 2021. However, due to the advanced time, the pressure on the legislator to implement the ECJ ruling is increasing.

    What are the risks for companies in this situation?

    In several court rulings, the Emden Labor Court has already referred to the ECJ ruling on the recording of working hours, arguing that an obligation for German employers to record time can already be derived from this case law. Two of these rulings specifically dealt with overtime worked by employees. The Emden Labor Court came to the conclusion that the ECJ ruling already has an impact on the burden of proof and presentation in overtime litigation in favor of the employee.

    Will companies have to deal with additional bureaucracy?

    In its ruling, the ECJ merely states that the data must be reliable, objective and easily accessible. It can be assumed that German legislators will also not aim for narrow specifications in their implementation. A modern software solution for digital time recording and absence management streamlines processes through an intuitive recording process and digital integration of all employee groups in all industries. For example, the construction worker who books at the terminal on site, the sales employee who books in her car via her smartphone app, or the commercial employee in the home office who can conveniently record his working hours via an employee portal. Ideally, the recorded data is automatically evaluated and is transferred directly to the payroll accounting system (such as DATEV) by digital means. This results in less bureaucracy and an elimination of manual administrative processes.

    Does the ECJ ruling mean the end of so-called trust-based working time?

    Trust-based working time and trust-based recording of working time are not mutually exclusive. Especially in industries and workplaces where there is already a high degree of flexibility in terms of working hours and work location, the use of a digital tool for time recording means a real benefit for employees and employers. After all, the recording of working hours ensures that activities on often very fragmented working days ultimately become transparent and comprehensible for both sides.

    Note: This blog article does not constitute legal advice and, in particular, cannot replace individual legal advice.

    Your company does not yet have a time recording system that complies with the BAG ruling?

    To enable you to record working hours in your company simply and easily in accordance with the BAG ruling, you can use the time recording solution from ZMI. We will also find an individual solution for your company:

    • Time recording at the stationary terminal,
    • at the PC workstation or
    • mobile with a variety of end devices

    Would you rather call one of our experts?
    Call us: +49 9704 60392-100.

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      How HR managers achieve high savings through automated working time recording and have more time for the really important tasks

      Wie Personalverantwortliche durch die automatisierte Arbeitszeiterfassung hohe Einsparungen erzielen
      Contents

      Recording working hours, leave requests, personnel documents – in many companies this is either done in analog form or at most with the help of Excel. “We’ve always done it this way” is often the motto.

      But especially in times of crisis, it can be worth looking into HR digitization. After all, it is not uncommon for digital working time recording, for example, to save several €10,000 – per month, mind you.

      Read this blog post to find out how this works in detail and then find out what savings potential there is for your company.

      Recording working hours digitally? Many companies are reluctant to introduce such software

      Personnel documents are still stowed away in cabinets, vacation requests are filled out and processed on paper, and working hours are documented on paper or in Excel. 

      This is a tremendously tough and, above all, time-consuming matter that involves a huge amount of administrative work. Manpower is unnecessarily wasted on repetitive and non-value-adding activities. This is despite the fact that these processes can be automated using flexible software solutions.  

      Many companies shy away from the supposed effort involved in introducing a digital solution. After all, the manual recording of hours worked is quick and easy, isn’t it?

      Manual Time & Attendance is small-scale and time-consuming – resulting in costs of more than €3,500 per day for a medium-sized company

      A closer look reveals that the supposedly cost-effective solution can often become a cost driver. The following aspects in particular are often neglected:  

      • Effort of manual recording
      • Rounding by the employees
      • Post-calculation by the back office

      All in all, this adds up to several minutes of work. Valuable working time that could be put to better use.

      In a company with 500 employees and an imputed hourly rate of € 40.00, this results in a cost block of more than € 3,500.00 – per day!

      Costs time recording Excel

      These hidden costs are avoided by digital Time & Attendance, so that the introduction of appropriate software quickly pays for itself and leads to long-term savings.

      The introduction of a digital time recording system makes it possible to record working and break times conveniently and to the minute within seconds with a single click via various channels. This not only eliminates the need for rounding when recording, but also the post-calculation, as the software takes over this task. Lean and automated processes take the pressure off HR managers, allowing them to focus on more important tasks.

      Say goodbye to paperwork and manual time clocks - the right software solution streamlines HR processes and directly involves individual employees

      A powerful solution offers much more than the classic digital time clock: working time models, break times, absences, core working times, flexitime models should be able to be implemented individually. A modern software solution also calculates surcharges completely automatically without the need for time-consuming manual post-calculation.

      Flexibly definable workflow functions automate HR processes and integrate employees. Digital requests for leave, flexitime, business trips, training or booking corrections are submitted digitally by employees in an intuitive interface and then go through a customizable approval process.

      Why working time flexibilization will remain a challenge in the future

      Why working time flexibilization will remain a challenge in the future

      Two months after the federal election, the leaders of the SPD, FDP and Greens yesterday presented the coalition agreement of the so-called traffic light coalition. This sets out the plans of the three parties for the next four years at the federal level. Particularly with regard to the topic of new working environments and new work, all the parties involved in the federal election campaign had emphasized that the legal framework would have to take account of the new realities in the future.

      After the presentation of the paper, however, it is clear that there is no scope for end-to-end flexibilization in the future either. The paper states: “Within the framework of a temporary regulation with an evaluation clause to be concluded in 2022, we will make it possible for employees to organize their working hours more flexibly within the framework of collective agreements under certain conditions and within deadlines to be observed.”

      This means that more than 50 percent of employees in Germany who are not employed under an industry-wide collective agreement are excluded from the outset from any potential opportunity to make working hours more flexible.

      The situation is similar with regard to the maximum daily working time, where also “a limited possibility for deviation from the currently existing regulations of the Working Hours Act” is to be created “if collective agreements or company agreements, based on collective agreements, provide for this”.

      In addition, with regard to the ECJ ruling on the recording of working time, the new coalition would like to examine in dialog with the social partners what need there is for adjustments in the area of working time law. In this context, the demand is also made that “flexible working time models (e.g. trust-based working time) must continue to be possible”.

      The bottom line is that working time flexibility will continue to be subject to high legal hurdles in the future, particularly under the Working Time Act (ArbZG). Even though the coalition agreement calls for a significant expansion of home office and mobile work options, the lack of options in the area of flexible working time models will often prevent their implementation to the benefit of employees and employers.

      Note: This blog article does not constitute legal advice and, in particular, cannot replace individual legal advice.

      Why manual time recording in Excel causes costs

      Disadvantages of manual time recording
      Contents

      Time & Attendance in Excel - A cost driver

      Personnel documents are still stowed away in cabinets, vacation requests are filled out and processed on paper, and working hours are documented on paper or in Excel. This is a tremendously tough and, above all, time-consuming matter that involves a huge amount of administrative work. Labor is needlessly wasted on repetitive, unnecessary, and non-value-added activities. And this despite the fact that flexible software solutions already enable automation of these processes.

      Recording of working time? Let’s do it in Excel for free!

      The documentation of hours worked in the spreadsheet is supposedly quick to do. But a closer look reveals that the supposedly cost-effective solution can quickly become a cost factor. Often neglected aspects are

      • Effort of manual recording
      • Rounding by the employees
      • as well as post calculation in the back office

      In total, numerous minutes of work quickly add up, which, for example, with an imputed hourly rate of 40.00 € in a company with 500 employees, add up to a cost block of more than 3,500.00 € – per day!

      Example: Manual Time & Attendance

      Costs time recording Excel

      Advantages of a digital time recording system

      With the introduction of a digital time recording system, working and break times can be recorded conveniently and to the minute within seconds with one click via different channels. In this case, not only is the rounding during data entry unnecessary, but also the post-calculation, since the software takes over this task. Leaner and automated processes relieve the burden on HR managers. Fixed or individual daily and weekly schedules stored in the software allow managers to plan and control more, and do fewer routine tasks.

      A powerful solution offers much more than the classic digital time clock: working time models, break times, absences, core working times, flexitime models should be able to be implemented individually. Surcharges can also be calculated automatically by a modern software solution without time-consuming manual recalculation.

      Employees should be able to record the most important information in an Employee Self Service (ESS) independently and at a glance. This means that queries about vacation entitlements and flexitime status do not arise in the first place, as all information is transparent for employees to view at any time.

      Vacation requests on paper? We’ve always done it that way!

      Digitalization is changing the entire world of work. Workplaces and organizations are becoming increasingly digital, mobile and flexible. The Corona crisis has brought this issue to the forefront, demonstrating the need for digitization to many companies: from the office to the home office within a matter of days. For many companies and HR managers, this is a major challenge. Replacing inefficient manual processes with the implementation of smart technological solutions is the key to success not only for decentralized work structures.

      This has been particularly drastic in the area of application processing: during the Corona pandemic, many companies were no longer able to map paper-based processes, such as a flexitime application, under remote working conditions. Those who had already implemented a modern HR tool for their HR processes could continue to use it regardless of location and without costly changes.

      Flexibly definable workflow functions allow HR processes to be automated and employees to be integrated. Digital applications for vacation, flextime, business trips, training, or booking corrections can be submitted digitally by employees in an intuitive interface and then go through a single- or multi-stage approval process.

      A practical example: Instead of submitting the vacation request manually, employees select their vacation via a web interface or in the app and see their remaining vacation at the same time; the request lands with one click with their supervisor, who can then approve the vacation and it is automatically entered. Afterwards, the employees receive feedback via e-mail and in the employee portal or their app. In addition, vacation substitutes can be determined and integrated into the workflow process.

      Your company does not yet have a time recording system that complies with the BAG ruling?

      To enable you to record working hours in your company simply and easily in accordance with the BAG ruling, you can use the time recording solution from ZMI. We will also find an individual solution for your company:

      • Time recording at the stationary terminal,
      • at the PC workstation or
      • mobile with a variety of end devices

      Would you rather call one of our experts?
      Call us: +49 9704 60392-100.

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        Does working time have to be recorded in the home office?

        Muss im Home Office Arbeitszeit erfasst werden?

        Even 18 months since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many employees are still working partially or completely from home.
        Companies and organizations have used the time to establish hybrid models or leave it entirely up to their employees to decide where they want to work from.
        want to.
        Depending on the specific workplace and industry, the scope for design varies.
        This is increasingly accompanied by the fact that working hours are being made as flexible as possible by employees – often without the employer’s knowledge.
        But is this even permissible and is there not an obligation to record working hours even when working from home? In spring 2019, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that companies within the European Union must document all hours worked by their employees in future.
        However, the German legislator has not yet transposed the ruling into national law.
        A general obligation to record working hours is therefore not enshrined in the German Working Hours Act (ArbZG), but overtime must be documented (if the working time exceeds the maximum working time of eight hours on weekdays), as well as work on Sundays and public holidays.
        This requirement naturally also applies to working from home.
        Furthermore, the Working Hours Act (ArbZG) must also be observed when working from home.
        Among other things, this stipulates (regardless of the place of work) that the maximum working time per day (10 hours) or per week (48 hours) may not be exceeded.
        In addition, the generally applicable regulations on break times and rest periods must also be observed when working from home.
        In terms of occupational health and safety, it is therefore all the more important to record the time worked when working from home – because the employer has a duty of care to monitor compliance with the aforementioned regulations and thus ensure the health and safety of its employees.
        A modern solution for digital working time recording, which can be used not only in the company but also from the home office or mobile via a smartphone app, can do this.
        In addition to compliance with the aforementioned legal provisions, the establishment of such a solution can also optimize cooperation between employees if they can see the current status of their colleagues – such as present, absent or on break – in real time.