Daily rest period

General information

After the end of the daily working time, employees must be granted an uninterrupted rest period of at least eleven hours.

The collective bargaining agreement may reduce the uninterrupted rest period to at least eight hours, if another rest period is extended accordingly within the next ten calendar days. However, a reduction to less than ten hours is only possible if the collective bargaining agreement contains additional measures to ensure a recovery by employees.

Continuous shift work

In continuous shift work (also on the weekend), the daily rest period may be reduced to a shift length (but at least eight hours) once per shift rotation at the change of shift. Another daily rest period must be extended accordingly within the shift rotation.

Enterprises affected

Employers are responsible for complying with working time provisions. Infringements of the daily rest period provisions are punishable.

Competent authority

The → Labour Inspectorate^{German text}

Competent body for administrative penalties:

• The district authority (→ BH)^{German text},
• In chartered urban districts: the municipal executive^{German text},
  • In Vienna: the municipal district office (→ Magistratische Bezirksamt)^{German text}

The amount of the administrative penalties differ. The details are regulated in section 28 Arbeitszeitgesetz (AZG - Federal Working Time Act).

Further information

Further Links

• "Working time, time off – general provisions" brochure (→ Labour Inspectorate)^{German text}
• Overview of the working time limits (→ Labour Inspectorate)^{German text}
• Working time limits in retail (→ Labour Inspectorate)^{German text}
• Working time limits in construction (→ Labour Inspectorate)^{German text}

Legal bases

section 12 Arbeitszeitgesetz (AZG)