Time recording for teams with shift work must be accurate and correct. Various legal requirements and working time models can be better taken into account with the right time recording and thus optimally support employers in scheduling.
Legal requirements
In shift work, the requirements for recording working time naturally apply in exactly the same way as in all other areas of work. In concrete terms, this means that you as an employer are obliged to record the working hours of your employees or to provide a method for the correct recording of working hours.
There is also an obligation to record working time that exceeds the agreed working time. This is easily possible with a modern working time recording system.
In shift work, further requirements must be met that fall within the scope of personnel deployment planning and are seamlessly integrated into time recording.
- Expectant mothers, nursing mothers and young people under the age of 18 are not permitted to work at night.
- Night work is defined as work between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. that lasts at least 2 hours. This means that persons excluded from night work may not work for more than 2 hours during this period. This also applies to overtime resulting from the late shift.
- Even in shift work, a break of at least 30 minutes must be taken after 6 hours of work.
- Employees must have at least 11 hours’ rest between two shifts. It is therefore not permitted, for example, to switch from the late shift on one day to the early shift on the next.
Advantages of time recording in shift work
Correct time recording in shift work allows you to comply with the regulations of the Working Hours Act (ArbZG) and make it easier to take employees’ needs into account.
Thanks to the precise documentation of working hours, you always have an overview of whether the daily working time limit is being adhered to and whether all rest breaks are long enough.
You can also use the recordings for a more in-depth analysis in order to design even more optimized shift schedules in the future. For example, to relieve people who are less productive during the night shift.
Depending on the area of work, shift work is particularly prone to overtime. To ensure that this does not get out of hand, your employees record it using time recording. This means you can always react in good time and ensure that your employees do not overwork.
The precise recording of working hours also promotes flexibility in the adjustment of working hours among employees. The concrete plans help to coordinate vacation.
Shift work is also associated with certain health risks. Sleep disorders increase the risk of accidents. Cardiovascular diseases can be the result of shift work. To prevent this, data from time recording and health data can be compared in order to take preventative measures.
Last but not least, time recording gives you legal security against working time fraud. The clear documentation serves as proof in the event of legal disputes.
Modern working time recording in shift work offers employers and employees flexibility, planning security and relief.
