New payments for Ukrainians with part-time employment introduced in Germany.

The Federal Labor Court of Germany (BAG) in Erfurt ruled that Ukrainians with part-Time employment are entitled to additional pay for overtime. Previously, such employees received payment only if they exceeded the standard workload of full-time employees. The court's decision recognized this practice as discriminatory and obliged the employer to compensate for the extra work. This decision protects the rights of millions of workers to fair pay.

A specific case involved a part-time nurse working at 40% of a full-time rate who had worked 130 overtime hours. The employer did not want to compensate her or provide additional vacation days because she did not exceed the daily norm for full-time employees. The court recognized this as discrimination and forced the employer to compensate for the overtime. Now, overtime is paid based on the actual hours worked, regardless of the standard full-time norms.

Working conditions in Germany

The standard work week in Germany is 40 hours, meaning an 8-hour workday. Seasonal workers are allowed to work up to 10 hours a day. Any additional work time is paid separately, and breaks are not included in working hours.

The working conditions for drivers depend on the type of route. Regional drivers may have flexible schedules and can start and end work at different times. International drivers work 10 to 12 hours a day, with mandatory breaks for rest and meals. All stops and downtime are recorded using a tachograph, which is the official device for monitoring the working regime of drivers.