Withdraw the Draft Working Time Bill and Undertake a Fundamental Overhaul

German Employers’ President Dr Rainer Dulger on the Draft Bill to Amend the Working Time Act:

Withdraw the Draft Working Time Bill and Undertake a Fundamental Overhaul

Berlin, 18 June 2026. “The draft legislation to amend the Working Time Act, which has come to light today, fails in every respect to meet the needs of a flexible, digital working world. Moreover, it runs directly counter to the coalition agreement.

This draft must be withdrawn and comprehensively revised. It provides no viable foundation for modern, digital working time arrangements. A legislator that shows so little trust in cooperation between employers and employees cannot expect employers to place trust in the quality of its lawmaking.

The draft ties even a limited adjustment of maximum working hours to collective bargaining agreements, despite the coalition agreement explicitly dispensing with such a requirement. In addition, it introduces a highly bureaucratic approach to recording working time, which does not safeguard the guaranteed protection of trust-based working time set out in the coalition agreement.

Overall, the proposal reflects a profound lack of trust in both employers and their workforce. It places yet another undue burden on businesses and employees alike.”