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German employment contracts, fixed terms and working time

What an employer in Germany must get right when hiring. The Evidence Act requires fifteen minimum items within three deadlines, on paper or, under conditions, in text form, and fines any failure. A fixed term needs an objective reason or must stay within the limits of section 14 of the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act: duration, extensions, prior employment, new businesses and older employees; without written form before work starts it is invalid. Then the Working Hours Act: the daily limit and the average, breaks, rest periods, Sunday work and record keeping. Three modules with case studies worked on the statute itself.

Intermediate3 modules65 minModule 1 free to read

2026 rules — verified on September 23, 2026

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This content is part of the path: Hiring your first employee in Germany· Step 1 of 10· Next step: German social security reports and contribution statements

By the end of this course, you can…

These outcomes are the modules' own: the promise cannot say anything the course does not teach.

  • match the fifteen minimum items of section 2(1) of the Evidence Act (NachwG) to the three hand-over deadlines
  • decide when the written record may be sent in text form and when paper is still required
  • notify changes to the terms of employment on time and in the right form
  • agree a probationary period validly, including in a fixed-term contract
  • know the standard examples of an objective reason and understand that the list is open
  • check the limits of a fixed term without reason: duration, number of extensions, prior employment
  • apply the special routes for newly founded businesses and for older employees
  • handle written form, the end, terminability and the claim deadline of a fixed-term contract safely
  • determine what counts as working time and to whom the Working Hours Act does not apply
  • apply the daily maximum and its averaging period
  • plan rest breaks by length and timing, and the minimum rest period between two working days
  • check Sunday and public-holiday work, the substitute rest day and the duty to keep records

The programme, module by module

Each module has its own page. Durations are derived from the actual text, never announced by hand.

  1. Module 122 minFree — no accountDocumenting the terms of employment: fifteen items, three deadlinesWhat you will be able to do
    • match the fifteen minimum items of section 2(1) of the Evidence Act (NachwG) to the three hand-over deadlines
    • decide when the written record may be sent in text form and when paper is still required
    • notify changes to the terms of employment on time and in the right form
    • agree a probationary period validly, including in a fixed-term contract
    Read this module
  2. Module 222 minIncluded in the full courseFixed-term contracts: with an objective reason, without one, and only in writingWhat you will be able to do
    • know the standard examples of an objective reason and understand that the list is open
    • check the limits of a fixed term without reason: duration, number of extensions, prior employment
    • apply the special routes for newly founded businesses and for older employees
    • handle written form, the end, terminability and the claim deadline of a fixed-term contract safely
    View the module — full course
  3. Module 322 minIncluded in the full courseWorking time: the daily limit, breaks, rest periods and SundaysWhat you will be able to do
    • determine what counts as working time and to whom the Working Hours Act does not apply
    • apply the daily maximum and its averaging period
    • plan rest breaks by length and timing, and the minimum rest period between two working days
    • check Sunday and public-holiday work, the substitute rest day and the duty to keep records
    View the module — full course

What you take away

A handout you keep, not just a page you read. The sections are derived from the course itself: what is announced here is exactly what gets generated.

  • Participant handout (PDF)

    PDF

    • Learning objectives (3)
    • Key figures (10)
    • Mistakes to avoid (3)
    • Official sources (3)

  • Exercise workbook (Word)

    Word

    • Learning objectives (3)
    • Key figures (10)
    • Mistakes to avoid (3)
    • Official sources (3)

Answers live in a separate appendix: the participant handout and the workbook stay distributable before the exercise.

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Where this course leads

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Educational content, current with the sources cited. It does not replace advice tailored to your situation. These courses are neither certifying nor CPF-eligible: they prepare for no certification registered with the French RNCP or specific register.