SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf stated that implementing digital time tracking is a prerequisite for making a weekly maximum working hour limit possible, rather than confining it to a daily standard. Speaking to Stern, the SPD representative emphasized that while the party supports flexibility, this must not come at the expense of employee rights. He asserted that if transitioning to a weekly maximum working hour limit, the discussion must include digital time recording. When asked if a weekly working time limit could exist without digital time tracking, Klüssendorf replied that the two issues are intrinsically linked and cannot be separated.
The alliance’s coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU, and SPD had previously set out the aim of introducing a weekly, rather than a daily, cap on working hours. Furthermore, the coalition parties agreed to regulate the mandatory electronic recording of working hours in a straightforward manner, including transition rules for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Klüssendorf reaffirmed that digital time recording is mandated by the coalition agreement and is also an EU requirement that the government must implement. According to the SPD General Secretary, digital time tracking serves to strengthen employee rights and offers protection against “the unilateral actions of employers” concluding that this issue needs to be addressed immediately.
