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Employment law and deadlines

Germany rest breaks under the Working Hours Act

API The rest break calculator runs through the REST API, with the special rules for young workers in JSON.

In 2026, German law requires a break of at least 30 minutes if you work more than six and up to nine hours, and 45 minutes if you work more than nine hours (§ 4 ArbZG). You can split the break into parts of at least 15 minutes. Young employees need 30 minutes for more than four and a half hours and 60 minutes for more than six hours (§ 11 JArbSchG).

Last checked against the sources on September 24, 2026. Next expected change: only if the law changes.

REST /v1/hr/pausenMCP hr_pausenCLI qk pausen

Calculates the statutory minimum break (Ruhepause) for a daily working time under § 4 of the Working Hours Act (ArbZG), and for young employees under § 11 of the Youth Employment Protection Act (JArbSchG). Plus the maximum working time per day, the rest period before the next working day and a note if the working time is above the statutory limit.

Source
§§ 3 to 5 ArbZG, §§ 8, 11 and 13 JArbSchG
License
Calculation under the cited provisions. Use under the Quellenkontor terms of use.
Updates
when the law changes
Coverage
Germany, current law

A value doesn't match the official source? Report an error. We check against the primary source and document every correction in the changelog.

Related solutions: For HR softwareFor AI agents and HR chatbots

api.quellenkontor.dev/v1/hr/pausen?arbeitszeit_stunden=9.5
Zur API-Doku →
curl "https://api.quellenkontor.dev/v1/hr/pausen?arbeitszeit_stunden=9.5" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $QK_KEY"
Antwort200 OK · JSON
{
  "datensatz": "pausen",
  "arbeitszeit_stunden": 9.5,
  "jugendlich": false,
  "pause_minuten": 45,
  "anwesenheit_stunden": 10.25,
  "hoechstens_ohne_pause_stunden": 6,
  "mindestdauer_abschnitt_minuten": 15,
  "hoechstarbeitszeit_tag_stunden": 8,
  "hoechstarbeitszeit_tag_ausnahme_stunden": 10,
  "ruhezeit_stunden": 11,
  "warnungen": [
    "Mehr als 8 Stunden sind nur zulässig, wenn innerhalb von sechs Kalendermonaten oder 24 Wochen im Durchschnitt 8 Stunden werktäglich nicht überschritten werden (§ 3 Satz 2 ArbZG)."
  ],
  "rechtsgrundlage": "§ 4 ArbZG",
  "quelle": {
    "titel": "§ 4 ArbZG (Ruhepausen)",
    "url": "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbzg/__4.html"
  },
  "hinweise": [
    "Arbeitszeit ist die Zeit ohne Ruhepausen. Die Pause kommt also zur angegebenen Arbeitszeit hinzu. Arbeitszeiten bei mehreren Arbeitgebern werden zusammengerechnet (§ 2 Abs. 1 ArbZG)."
  ],
  "stand": "2026-09-24",
  "lizenz": "Berechnung nach den genannten Normen. Nutzung nach den Nutzungsbedingungen von Quellenkontor.",
  "zitat": "Gesetzliche Mindestpause bei 9,5 Stunden Arbeitszeit: 45 Minuten. Achtung: Mehr als 8 Stunden sind nur zulässig, wenn innerhalb von sechs Kalendermonaten oder 24 Wochen im Durchschnitt 8 Stunden werktäglich nicht überschritten werden (§ 3 Satz 2 ArbZG). Rechtsgrundlage: § 4 ArbZG. Quelle: § 4 ArbZG (Ruhepausen), https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbzg/__4.html. Daten: Quellenkontor (quellenkontor.dev).",
  "datenstand": "2026-09-24.13"
}

Response shortened. All parameters and response fields are in the Rest breaks reference.

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Minimum breaks by working time

Working time without breaks. A break only counts if it lasts at least 15 minutes.

Legal citations stay in German, exactly as they appear in the official sources.

Daily working timeAdults (§ 4 ArbZG)Young people (§ 11 JArbSchG)
up to 4.5 hoursnonenone
more than 4.5 to 6 hoursnone30 minutes
more than 6 to 9 hours30 minutes60 minutes (over 8 hours only by exception, up to 8.5, § 8 JArbSchG)
more than 9 hours45 minutesnot permitted (§ 8 JArbSchG)

Parameters

ParametersTypeMeaning
arbeitszeit_stundenrequirednumbernumberDaily working time in hours without breaks, for example 7.5
jugendlichbooleanbooleantrue for employees aged 15 to under 18 (Youth Employment Protection Act). Children under 15 may generally not be employed (§ 5 JArbSchG). Default: false

All response fields with types, allowed values, defaults and error cases are in the Rest breaks reference.

Questions about this dataset

How long a break do you need for 8 hours of work?

30 minutes, because the working time is more than six hours (§ 4 ArbZG). Including the break, the working day lasts at least 8.5 hours.

How long a break do you need for exactly 9 hours?

30 minutes. 45 minutes are only required for more than nine hours, so for 9 hours and 15 minutes it is 45 minutes.

Does the break count as working time?

No. Working time is the time from the start to the end of work without the rest breaks (§ 2 Abs. 1 ArbZG). If you work 8 hours, you are at work for at least 8.5 hours including the break.

Can I take the break at the end of the day?

No. Nobody may work more than six hours in a row without a break, and the break must be set in advance (§ 4 ArbZG). A break at the end of the shift does not meet that.

How often is the dataset updated?

When the law changes. We check the data against the official sources every week, and every change is logged in the changelog. On the Pro plan, a webhook notifies your server.

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