Protecting young workers in Germany: working hours, breaks, health checks and instruction
Anyone employing apprentices, interns or holiday workers under 18 in Germany must follow the Youth Employment Protection Act. The key rules on working hours, breaks, medical checks and instruction.
Last updated on 8 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- The Youth Employment Protection Act (Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz, JArbSchG) applies to all employees under 18 – apprentices as well as interns and holiday workers.
- Young people may work no more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, on five days a week and in principle between 6 am and 8 pm.
- Before employment starts, an initial medical examination must be on file, and one year later the first follow-up examination.
- Young people are instructed before starting and at least every six months afterwards. Dangerous work and piecework are prohibited in principle.
Who does the Youth Employment Protection Act apply to?
The act protects children and young people who are doing an apprenticeship, working or completing an internship. A young person is anyone aged 15 but not yet 18. Employing children under 15 is prohibited in principle – with narrow exceptions, for example work placements during full-time compulsory schooling.
The rules for children apply to young people who are still in full-time compulsory schooling. During school holidays they may work no more than four weeks per calendar year.
Working hours, breaks and rest
Daily working time
Requirementno more than 8 hours
ProvisionSection 8 JArbSchG
Weekly working time
Requirementno more than 40 hours over five days
ProvisionSections 8, 15 JArbSchG
Breaks
Requirement30 minutes for more than 4.5 and up to 6 hours, 60 minutes for more than 6 hours; only interruptions of at least 15 minutes count as a break
ProvisionSection 11 JArbSchG
Longest work without a break
Requirementno more than 4.5 hours
ProvisionSection 11 JArbSchG
Rest between two working days
Requirementat least 12 hours
ProvisionSection 13 JArbSchG
Night rest
Requirementwork only between 6 am and 8 pm, with exceptions
ProvisionSection 14 JArbSchG
Exceptions to night rest exist for young people over 16, for example in restaurants and the fairground trade until 10 pm, in multi-shift operations until 11 pm and in bakeries and pastry shops from 5 am. Those over 17 may work in bakeries from 4 am.
Holidays
Young people are entitled to more holiday than adults. What counts is their age at the start of the calendar year (Section 19 JArbSchG):
- at least 30 working days for those not yet 16
- at least 27 working days for those not yet 17
- at least 25 working days for those not yet 18
Dangerous work and piecework
Young people may not be employed in work that exceeds their capabilities or exposes them to particular hazards (Section 22 JArbSchG). This includes in particular work with:
- accident risks that young people cannot recognise or avoid because of a lack of safety awareness or experience
- exceptional heat, cold or wet
- harmful effects of noise, vibration or radiation
- harmful effects of hazardous substances or biological agents
Exceptions are possible where the work is necessary to achieve the training goal, a competent person supervises the young people and – where required – occupational health and safety support is ensured. Piecework and pace-dependent work are prohibited for young people in principle (Section 23 JArbSchG).
Medical examinations
- 1
Initial examination
A young person may only be employed if they have been examined by a doctor within the last 14 months and the certificate has been given to the employer (Section 32). Minor jobs or light work lasting no more than two months are exempt.
- 2
First follow-up examination
One year after employment starts, the employer must ask for the certificate of the first follow-up examination; it may not be more than three months old (Section 33).
- 3
No certificate, no further employment
If the certificate is not available 14 months after employment started, the young person may not continue working until it is provided.
The examinations are free of charge for young people; the costs are borne by the federal state.
Risk assessment and instruction
Before young people start work, the employer assesses the hazards specifically for them (Section 28a JArbSchG). Young people are instructed before employment starts and when working conditions change significantly – on the accident and health risks and the protective measures (Section 29). The instruction must be repeated at appropriate intervals, but at least every six months – twice as often as for adults.
Checklist: young people at work
- Certificate of the initial examination on file
- Date of the first follow-up examination monitored
- Risk assessment for young people prepared
- Instruction before starting and at least every six months
- Working hours, breaks and night rest reflected in the shift plan
- Vocational school time released and counted
- No prohibited dangerous work or piecework
- Notices under Sections 47 and 48 provided
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, free – to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
How often must apprentices under 18 be instructed?
Before employment starts, when working conditions change significantly and at least every six months afterwards (Section 29 JArbSchG).
How many hours may young people work?
No more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, spread over five days.
What happens if the follow-up examination is missing?
If the certificate is not available 14 months after employment started, the young person may not continue working until they provide it. Before that, the employer must remind them in writing.
Does the act also apply to interns?
Yes, if they are under 18. For school work placements during full-time compulsory schooling, the special rules for children and young people in full-time compulsory schooling apply.
Terms from the glossary
This guide gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
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