Contents page 1 — “I don’t control my employees, I trust them” page 2 — “The time clock is a wonderful instrument of control” On a page

The European court of justice has held that: an employer must record the working hours of your employees complete. How the judgment is to be implemented in practice, however, is not yet clear. So far there is in Germany for an employer there is no General obligation to working hours, only Overtime hours have to be documented. How do knowledge professionals today, you work too much but not too little? And how did the boss know that his employee to go four hours in the lunch break? Five answers from five different workers.

Marie Bachmann, 51, is a PhD Geographer, and for 13 years at a research Institute in Berlin. Your time recorded you. To document Marie Bachmann © private

our working hours, all employees in our Institute, an Excel spreadsheet: In the columns of the projects we work on are in the rows the days of the week. In the cut fields, we record the number of daily hours for each project. I’ll decide for myself what exactly I entries in the table. It is also controlled by no one, if I have made a 30 minutes lunch break – or 32.

I am a project Manager and with my colleagues around the country and local governments, as of certain measures or support programs in urban planning and urban redevelopment act. I’m a 25 hours per week at the Institute, work but depending on the project temporarily once more. The Nice thing about the table: I can see exactly how many Overtime hours I accumulated and the balance then in consultation. If less is going on, I’ll take me free. The I need to apply for, but this is fairly straightforward.

I used to work at a large consulting company, where you had to do with a map – and check out. I was also not bad. Now, a little more effort for me, because I always have to make a note of exactly how much I’ve been working on for what project. The advantage of this is that I have always in view, how many hours I have worked in different projects already.

Erich Schulz, 52, is a graduate engineer and trained as a plumber and Gas fitter. He directs an Augsburg master company for sanitary and heating engineering and Plumbing. Its 80 employees record their working hours independently. Erich Schulz © private

I do not control my employees. I could not even, which are most of the time on the site. We are a master company for sanitary and heating technology and install, for example, the heating systems in new buildings, or build the baths. Since I could not run my employees even clock in and out afterwards. I would not want to – I trust them.

will keep a record of My people, every hour on your timesheet, and are paid according to the collective agreement. Overtime ever, but to me is important, that the then celebrated again on Friday in the same week. A good relationship to my employees is important, because I need you. Due to the shortage of skilled workers, we are dependent on each Individual.

personally I am working about sixty hours a week. How do I know? Because I start every day before seven a.m. and after Seven come home. This is my rhythm. Once in a while I’ll take one more afternoon to go to the example with the kids for a swim. My working time is not controlled by anyone, I’m the boss. Just in front of my wife, I have to justify myself sometimes.

Melanie Black, 35, has been working for two years as a Community and Social Media Manager at the telephone provider Sipgate in Düsseldorf. Your company wants to prevent employees to accumulate Overtime. A classic time clock helps. Melanie Schwarz © private

TIME ONLINE: woman in Black, you punch in every Morning, if you go to the office. This is not a little old-fashioned for a software company in the 21st century. Century?

Melanie Black: the agreement does not apply, we have to work more than 40 hours a week. We make creative work. More than eight hours a day will not go as easy. The time clock, I helps me every day – and auschecke, to me, to keep that in view.

TIME ONLINE: Works the also?

Black: Overall, Yes. This morning, my watch Plus 3.25 hours. This is due to the fact that my Team is currently working on the launch of a new product. There’s a bit more work then. We generally have a waiting period of plus/minus ten hours, in the area we should stay.

TIME ONLINE: And if you come anyway under or over?

Black: If that happens frequently, check someone from accounting with me. I’m advised of the time and can then look with my Team, where the Problem is and how you can change that.