What are the standard working hours in Austria?

In Austria, the standard working hours are capped at 38.5 hours per week with a daily limit of 9 hours. Employees are entitled to rest periods, including a minimum of 30 minutes of break time for shifts longer than 6 hours, and a daily rest period of 11 hours. Weekly rest should be at least 36 hours. Overtime beyond standard hours is allowed up to 60 hours per week, with specific compensation rates for extra hours worked. 


Standard Working Hours

  • Weekly Limit: The maximum standard working hours are 38.5 hours per week, typically spread over 5 days.
  • Daily Limit: Employees cannot work more than 9 hours per day.


Exceptions and Flexibility

  • Public Holidays: Working hours are reduced and end at noon on December 24 and December 31.
  • Extended Daily Hours: Daily working hours can be extended up to 10 hours under specific conditions:
    • Weekly hours are evenly distributed over 4 days.
    • Employees are working under a flextime arrangement.
    • Using the flextime account model as per Article 4 IV of the Working Time Act.
    • Organizational needs or exceptional reasons, such as specific projects requiring extra hours for timely completion.


Flextime Account Model

  • Weekly Limit: Under the flextime account model, employees can work up to 40 effective hours per week.
  • Daily Flexibility: Employees may have flexible working hours per mutual agreement, with a daily maximum of 10 hours.


Rest Periods

  • Daily Breaks: Employees working more than 6 hours per day are entitled to at least 30 minutes of break time. This break can be divided into two 15-minute breaks or multiple 10-minute breaks.
  • Daily Rest: Employees must have a minimum of 11 hours of rest between working days.
  • Weekly Rest: Employees are entitled to at least 36 hours of continuous rest per week, which includes Sunday.


Overtime

  • Definition: Overtime refers to any hours worked beyond the normal working hours.
  • Weekly Limit: Employees may work a maximum of 60 hours per week, including overtime.
  • Compensation:
    • Regular Overtime: Overtime hours worked during regular hours are compensated at 150% of the normal salary or with 1.5 hours of paid time off for each overtime hour.
    • Sunday or Public Holiday Work: Work performed on Sundays or public holidays is compensated at 200% of the normal salary or with 2 hours of paid time off for each overtime hour.

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