The country suffers because... too much rest: At least 11 o'clock and the end of work is forbidden to touch work

German working law stipulates that workers' rest time is at least 11 hours/day. During this time, even reading work emails or taking phone calls from co-workers is prohibited.

Regulations on rest time: Right at least 11 hours/day

There is no country in the world that favors workers more than Germany. The law on their working and resting hours clearly stipulates: The working time/day of an employee must not exceed 8 hours. In particular, the rest time after working hours must be at least 11 hours. During this 11am, all work-related activities are… against the law.

Germany clearly separates work and rest time

First time coming to Freiburg's Institute for Advanced Studies (Freiburg's Institute for Advanced Studies) in Germany, Kristen Ghodsee (USA) did not know about this time regulation. She stayed on "volunteer overtime". Within minutes, Ghodsee heard a knock on the door. The director of the research institute came in and asked her what was the matter?

Ghodsee shook his head, answering no. The director looked at his watch, a little irritated at Ghodsee why the time was up and he still hadn't come home. Ghodsee hastily explained, but was "bullied" even louder. "You're in Germany, come back to me immediately!".

For the Germans, it's time to take a break. They call the hour of rest after a day's work "Feierabend". This term means cutting off all ties with work.

The exception is to take a break of up to 10 hours

In 2003, the European Union (European Union) proposed that EU countries legalize working and resting time. Immediately, Germany took the opportunity to introduce and enforce regulations on working hours.

During the break, absolutely do not think or touch the work

"Germans are well aware of the importance of keeping work and private life separate," said David Markworth, a staff member at the University of Cologne's Institute of Labor and Commercial Law. know. "We welcome EU regulation with few exceptions."

The Feierabend exceptions are hospital workers, farmers, people working in the hospitality, transportation or media industries. However, they also only shortened the break by 1 hour, still 10 hours.

Rest too much until bored

As a rule, no one is allowed to interrupt Feierabend, including the workers themselves. Having rest is to let go of work completely. But since smartphones appeared, this regulation has suddenly become inconvenient.

"The 11-hour break is too long," said Claudia Knuth, an attorney at the law firm Lutz Abel. "Many people have checked their work email during this time just because. bored."

As a rule, no one is allowed to interrupt Feierabend.

The results of the actual 2019 survey of the digital association Bitkom, Germany show that: 96% of participants think Feierabend is too rigid. They want to have a change, flexible rest time to suit each person's work and life.

With today's digital technology, commuters can easily access work outside the office. According to a 2015 survey in Germany, more than a quarter of employees said that employers want to be able to contact them at all times.

But the law still must and should be obeyed

"Rest regulations are being ignored on a large scale," Knuth asserts. "At most, when violating, companies will only be reminded and reprimanded."

"In fact, for a long time, Feierabend has been circumvented," emphasized Adél Holdampf-Wendel, a labor law expert. "Some people want to have more free time in the afternoon to take care of errands, such as taking care of children, then work overtime in the evening. Others want to discuss late at night with colleagues, so that I can go to work later the next day."

However, according to the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAUA), Germany: Loosening the Feierabend rule has the potential to lead to worker abuse. According to a survey of this organization in 2017, 20% of employees took a break of less than 11 hours a day at least once a month. They suspect this 20% has been forced to work overtime.

In the digital age, observing rest hours also protects workers from…self

Above all, Feierabend is for the interests of workers. It not only protects them from being exploited by their employers, but also keeps them safe from their "workaholics". Even if I only read work emails overtime to… kill time, after reading it, I suddenly wonder. According to BAUA, many employees who regularly take less than 11 hours of rest per day have reported insomnia, exhaustion, back pain, etc.

"Compliance with regulations on resting time is very necessary, especially in today's digital age, when smartphones and laptops are everywhere" - David Markworth, legal expert concludes. "The important thing now is how to protect employees from the risk of being abused by their employer, and especially by themselves."