{"id":13879,"date":"2022-12-29T15:03:56","date_gmt":"2022-12-29T15:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/personalwolke.at\/?p=13879"},"modified":"2024-11-25T13:42:59","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T12:42:59","slug":"time-recording-our-experts-have-the-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/personalwolke.at\/en\/zeiterfassung-unsere-experten-haben-die-antworten\/","title":{"rendered":"Compulsory time tracking in Germany - Our experts have the answers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New contributions:<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExperience the future of corporate management: let your employees manage their own data with Employee Self Service!<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

from Lisa Paar<\/a><\/span> | Oct 2, 2024<\/span><\/p>

Why is trust-based working time so controversial? In this blog, we will tell you what trust-based working hours really mean, what opportunities and risks they entail and which legal regulations employees and employers must observe.<\/p>\n<\/div>Read more<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrust-based working hours: flexibility or control and transparency through time tracking?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

from Linda<\/a><\/span> | Jul 16, 2024<\/span><\/p>

Why is trust-based working time so controversial? In this blog, we will tell you what trust-based working hours really mean, what opportunities and risks they entail and which legal regulations employees and employers must observe.<\/p>\n<\/div>Read more<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>

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A time recording system is an important tool that helps companies to comply with working time laws and regulations. Since the decision of the Federal Labor Court in Germany, attendance and absences must be recorded. However, the introduction of a time recording system also raises a number of questions. Our experts have compiled some of these questions to help you get started.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Question: On September 13, 2022, the Federal Labor Court (BAG) made a far-reaching decision regarding the obligation to record working hours in Germany. What can be said about it in summary and what impact does it have on German companies?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Answer: <\/span>The Federal Labor Court ruled on\u00a0September 13<\/span>\u00a02022 that the entire working time of employees must also be recorded in Germany. According to Section 3 (2) no. 1 of the German Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG), employers are obliged - subject to an interpretation in line with EU law - to introduce a system with which the time worked can be recorded (BAG - 1 ABR 22\/21).<\/span><\/p>\n

In doing so, the BAG refers to a ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) of\u00a0May 14<\/span>\u00a02019, which concerned the interpretation of the Working Time Directive. According to the BAG decision, the ECJ ruling must already be observed by employers in Germany due to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. (see Source<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

The BAG ruling thus confirms that the obligation to record working hours is already applicable law in Germany today, although the Working Hours Act has not yet been amended accordingly. If companies violate the obligation to record working hours, the legislator can demand improvements or, in more serious cases, impose fines.<\/span><\/p>\n

From this point of view, there is \"danger in delay\", so to speak, for companies that do not keep time records. We advise these companies to start recording time immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Question: The introduction of a time recording system is sometimes viewed critically and characterized in the media with the catchphrase \"return to the time clock\". Are there any advantages for the employee\/employer if a modern time management tool is introduced?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Answer: There are advantages for both sides. It is important to recognize that there are usually different groups in a company, workers, employees, field staff, employees who work remotely, employees with PC workstations, employees without PC workstations, etc. In order for the benefits to be realized, it is important that all these groups are taken into account and that the time recording tool is flexible and adaptable.<\/span><\/p>\n

For employers, I see significant advantages in three areas: <\/span>Legal protection: By recording working hours and the associated concepts, e.g. digital confirmation of monthly hours worked by both parties or audit security in the event of changes to bookings, you have a solid basis in the event of disputes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rest periods, maximum working hours and other elements of employee protection can be monitored on an ongoing basis and immediate action can be taken if necessary. However, keywords such as \"Did the accident at work take place during the lunch break or working hours\" are also covered by the recording of working hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reduction of administrative effort throughout the company and thus saving time and money: There are statistics that say that if you switch from a paper-based vacation request to a digital solution, you save up to 30 minutes per request. For companies with 200 employees and 3 vacation requests per employee per year, this alone represents a time saving of 300 hours per year.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, in my opinion, another point is much more decisive - the provision of information - keyword employee self-service portal.<\/span><\/p>\n

The biggest problem for companies that use Excel or paper is keeping the data up to date and making it available.<\/span><\/p>\n

Questions such as - What is my vacation balance?, When will I be paid my business trip allowances?, I need my social security registration, can you send it to me?, Who is in the home office and when? .... occur frequently and are usually resolved through inefficient communication by sending emails back and forth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to an employee self-service portal, employees can access their data themselves at any time and this data is up to date 100%. This saves a considerable amount of time in the HR department.<\/span><\/p>\n

Increasing the attractiveness of the company - keyword \"New Work\": Qualified employees are in high demand. Demographic developments will significantly increase this effect. The demands of employees are becoming increasingly important.<\/span><\/p>\n

One requirement is flexible working arrangements, e.g. working from home or part-time jobs with flexible working days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some key points why digital time recording is essential for both points:
Home office planning - When is who in the home office? Differentiating between working time and free time at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

When do I work this week? How many hours did I work this week? Easy administration of flexible time models<\/span><\/p>\n

Advantages for employees: <\/span>Reduction of administrative effort - I think in 2022 you can say with a clear conscience that no employee will be happy with submitting a vacation request on paper. It takes time and distracts from the actual work. Furthermore, applications can be submitted regardless of time or place. A quick example from me personally: Imagine you are sitting with your friends and decide to go on vacation together next year. Within 2 minutes I can see whether my colleagues have already applied for vacation during this time and if not, I can fix my vacation directly here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Transparency & compliance with the legal framework: <\/span>Let's say you're sitting at dinner with your family. Suddenly the phone rings and one of your colleagues calls you because there is an urgent problem. At the same time, however, another member of your team is working who could also solve the problem. Without a modern time management system, such situations will occur again and again, as the coordination of a team and the current attendance status can never be reliably determined.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a manager, you are also responsible for taking proactive action in the event of excessive workloads or rest periods. These issues can only be mapped using a time management system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Higher motivation : A<\/span>ll current studies show that Employee Self Service (ESS) has a positive effect on employee motivation and positively influences the employee experience, i.e. the perceived appreciation that the company shows towards the employee. In addition to working hours and absences, our employee portal (ESS) can also be used to process topics such as digital salary statements and travel expense reports. This means that the employee always has a complete overview and can access all relevant information at any time without having to send an email to the HR department.<\/span><\/p>\n

Question: Workflow<\/a> has implemented numerous time management projects over the last 22 years. In your experience, what hurdles can companies face during the changeover and how can these challenges be overcome in the best possible way?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Answer: An important point when it comes to time recording is that the use of the software affects every single employee in the company. You introduce a new sales software, it affects 5 employees - you introduce a new accounting software - it affects 3 employees - you introduce a new time recording system - it potentially affects all employees in the company.<\/span><\/p>\n

To ensure acceptance and a smooth changeover, it is important to test the software well before commissioning and to introduce a system that is as easy to use as possible, so that your employees can find their way around without a great deal of training.<\/span><\/p>\n

A second point is internal project communication: it is important to inform everyone involved at an early stage and, for example, to involve the works council, if there is one, in the project. The boost for a successful project is when all relevant information is communicated to employees in good time and the benefits of the new software are also sold internally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last but not least, due to different collective agreements, company agreements or even individual agreements, there are often company-specific requirements that off-the-shelf software solutions are often unable to implement. This is where our greatest competitive advantage comes into play: our software is already preconfigured with useful standard features, but allows highly flexible customization to your needs! This means that you do not invest in a tool that you then have to replace after a year, for example, because a new requirement that suddenly arises cannot be implemented.<\/span><\/p>\n

Question: What different forms of working time recording are there and how does a company find the right variant for each individual case?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Answer:\u00a0<\/span>Before you go into the form, you should ask yourself which employees in my company should record times and which employees are exempt.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, there is usually no obligation to record working hours accurately for managers or field staff. We have our own concepts for these employees.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are three options for employees who need to record their working times accurately:<\/span><\/p>\n