Recording working time has been a legal requirement for some time now. Certain requirements must be met. Although these can also be complied with using traditional working time recording methods, this can mean unnecessary work. Digital working time recording makes it easier for both employers and employees to record working time reliably and correctly.
The fulfillment of legal requirements
The basic rule is that working time must be recorded in every company. Since the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the confirmation of the Federal Labor Court (BAG), this obligation is binding. In concrete terms, this means that employers must record employees’ working hours, keep a record of them and store them for at least two years. There is therefore no longer a voluntary basis. However, it is permitted to delegate the recording of working hours to employees. They can therefore record their working hours themselves. The start and end of working hours and breaks must be recorded. As yet, there is no legal resolution that requires a digital time recording method. However, it cannot be completely ruled out that some “outdated” methods will no longer be permitted in the future. The main aim of the regulations is to ensure that time recording is transparent and tamper-proof. This could indicate that digital working time recording systems in particular will be the order of the day as soon as legislation is passed. Digital working time recording fulfills the requirements of transparency in that employers and employees can see at any time which hours have been worked and what these hours were spent on. The start and end of work and breaks are recorded down to the second. This is not only an advantage for the fulfillment of specifications. It also prevents queries and ambiguities in the work process. The clear documentation of the work performed provides all important information at a glance.
Making work easier
Information is the keyword when it comes to recording working hours. The aim is to record working hours as accurately as possible. In addition, digital working time recording also provides insights into the processes involved in orders and the areas of the company. For example, employers can see how many hours have been worked on an order. This can be an important tool for calculating comparable jobs in the future. Or it provides an indication that certain processes are not well defined and therefore take up too much time. In addition, payroll accounting is made considerably easier if it does not have to be added up by hand. The data is already available and only needs to be used accordingly. This also applies to compliance with employee rights. The Working Hours Act (ArbZG) specifies exactly how many hours employees are allowed to work. However, compliance with the law is the responsibility of the employer. Is too much overtime being worked? Are too many hours being worked part-time? Employers find out immediately if overtime is being worked. Not just when they receive a timesheet. Digital working time recording is particularly useful in conjunction with modern working models such as hybrid working or flexitime, as it can be used anywhere and at any time. Digitally recorded working time data can also be printed out to present to insurance companies or authorities, for example.
Conclusion
Although digital working time recording is not mandatory, it meets all current requirements. As the legal situation has not yet been finally formulated, it is unclear whether traditional working time recording methods will still be permitted at all in the future. In the long term, a digital process is advantageous anyway, as it not only fulfills the legal requirements – both now and in the future. It also makes work easier and is helpful when planning orders by providing important insights.
