ECJ ruling on working time recording

ECJ ruling on working time recording: tips for companies

The European Court of Justice has ruled in Luxembourg: All employers in EU member states should be obliged to record their employees' working hours in full. This is intended to protect employees, as only by accurately recording all hours worked can it be determined whether the permitted working hours have been exceeded. The rights of employees are to be strengthened by the new law, as this would be extremely difficult or even practically impossible without a time recording tool, according to the Court of Justice.

1. Stocktaking

The first question to ask is whether working hours are already being recorded in the company or whether the recording systems are still completely lacking, for example due to the use of trust-based working hours. Many companies will already have some form of recording system in place - be it for documenting overtime, mini-jobbers or in typical sectors such as industry. The forms can be varied: from the classic time clock to Excel sheets and apps. Can these methods be expanded or upgraded so that all start and end times, breaks and overtime are systematically recorded? Or do we need to look for a completely new solution? What are the special requirements that the (existing or new) system must meet? For example, must the solution be able to be used in the home office, be able to map several locations, should it issue a warning if rest periods are not adhered to? These requirements can vary greatly from company to company, which is why an individual inventory is an important first step for all further decisions.

2. Integration of all departments involved

Depending on the company structure and size, the topic of working time recording will affect various areas in the company - IT, HR, management. As a project team, these departments should be involved in a joint decision-making and planning process at an early stage in order to take all requirements into account and set up processes properly. If there is a works council, it certainly makes sense to involve it from the outset.

3. Decision for new tools

If a new system for the systematic recording of working time is required, the most effective way to select one is to draw up a checklist after taking stock. Which provider meets which requirements? We recommend solutions that map all the necessary processes in the company, but are easy to use so that employees can use them easily after a short introduction. Our shyftplan software is an uncomplicated solution. In addition to the core function of shift planning, we offer a digital time clock with which employees' working hours can be recorded to the minute and breaks can also be documented directly. This can be done via a browser or mobile via our app - so it can also be used in the home office without any problems.

4. Planning the implementation process

Once the decision for a solution has been made, the implementation process should be given sufficient time and the process should be well planned in a previously defined project team. Even if the system is intuitive to use, it may take some time to enter existing data. When introducing new solutions, it is helpful to have key users who accompany the process and, if possible, continue to support the software afterwards and promote its acceptance within the company.

5. Involvement of employees

The obligation to systematically record time is actually intended to protect employees - but on the contrary, it fuels the fear of the "transparent employee" in some people. Transparent communication with employees is recommended here: Which data is recorded and why, which data is only stored in anonymized form?

When introducing new systems, appropriate training for all employees should be a matter of course, in which feedback should also be requested so that processes can be further optimized if necessary. And if there are several ways of recording time, employees should have a choice and be able to record time both on their mobile device and on their PC, for example.

About us - shyftplan

We offer a cloud-based software solution for personnel planning and employee communication. It automates manual processes by digitizing structured communication - from shift planning to absence management. In addition, we promote employee empowerment by involving them in many processes right from the start and thus exploiting previously unimagined potential: employee intelligence. The core functions of our software include shift scheduling, time recording and absence planning.