What are my rights if I work overtime?

What the Law Says

German law sets strict limits on working time and outlines when overtime must be compensated. Your right to payment depends on whether overtime was formally required or tolerated — not just performed.

Under the Working Time Act (ArbZG), your regular daily working time may not exceed eight hours. However, it can be extended to up to ten hours per day — but only if, over a period of six calendar months or 24 weeks, the average remains at or below eight hours per working day.

The German Civil Code (BGB § 612) governs remuneration. If your employment contract does not specify pay for overtime, compensation may still be implied — especially if the nature of the work makes payment reasonable, or if industry standards or collective agreements require it.

Importantly, BGB § 612 does not automatically entitle you to extra pay for every hour worked beyond your scheduled time. Compensation depends on whether the overtime was ordered, explicitly tolerated, or objectively necessary to fulfill your duties — not merely because you stayed late.

Statutory Text

Die werktägliche Arbeitszeit der Arbeitnehmer darf acht Stunden nicht überschreiten. Sie kann auf bis zu zehn Stunden nur verlängert werden, wenn innerhalb von sechs Kalendermonaten oder innerhalb von 24 Wochen im Durchschnitt acht Stunden werktäglich nicht überschritten werden.

— ArbZG § 3 — Working Time Act

Statutory Text

Eine Vergütung gilt als stillschweigend vereinbart, wenn die Dienstleistung den Umständen nach nur gegen eine Vergütung zu erwarten ist.

— BGB § 612 — German Civil Code

What Courts Have Said

German courts emphasize that employees bear the burden of proving overtime was more than just voluntary presence — it must have been required or accepted by the employer.

What to Do

Sources

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