The German governing coalition, made up of CDU/CSU and SPD, is planning to replace the current daily working time limit of eight hours with a weekly maximum.
The Bundestag debated the proposal for the first time on May 22, 2026. The debate followed motions from the Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and the Left party (Die Linke) seeking to block the change and preserve the current eight-hour day.
What does Germany’s current working time law say?
Germany’s working time law (Arbeitszeitgesetz, ArbZG) currently limits the working day to eight hours. It can be extended up to 10 hours on any given day. However, the average working time over six months must not exceed eight hours per day.
This means your employer cannot regularly ask you to work 11- or 12-hour days, even if the total weekly hours stay within limits. The daily cap is a hard legal protection.
What is the ruling coalition proposing for Germany’s working time law?
Germany’s governing coalition wants to shift from a daily maximum to a weekly maximum. The European Union’s working time directive (Arbeitszeitrichtlinie) sets the weekly cap at 48 hours. This is what Germany uses as its reference point.
In practice, this would mean that on some days you could work ten, eleven, or twelve hours, as long as the weekly total stays within the cap. Critics argue this would normalise much longer individual working days.
SPD MP Jan Dieren pushed back against this framing. He said the coalition agreement contains nothing about abolishing the eight-hour day, and the SPD does not want that. He argued the change is about giving workers and employers more flexibility in how they distribute their weekly hours.
If you work in Germany, the daily working time limit is one of your most fundamental legal protections.
Employment Legal Insurance in Germany ->
Under the current law, your employer cannot legally demand that you work a 12-hour day to compensate for lighter days earlier in the week. A weekly cap would make this possible, as long as the weekly total stays within the limit.
The Greens and the Left argue that this flexibility primarily benefits employers, not workers. It makes it harder for you to plan childcare, medical appointments, or other fixed commitments if your daily schedule becomes unpredictable.
The coalition parties argue that modern working life requires more flexibility than the current rigid daily limit allows, especially in digital and project-based work.
The opposing motions have already been referred to the committee. The coalition still needs to present a formal legislative proposal before any change can become law.
The Bundestag is expected to debate the concrete legislative text before the end of 2026. Until a new law is passed, the current eight-hour daily cap remains in force.
