Core working hours - everything employers and employees need to know

What are core working hours? 

Core working hours describe an attendance requirement set by the employer. They do not cover the entire contractual working time, but allow employees to choose the start and end of their working day more freely. To preserve this flexibility, however, core working hours should not be longer than six hours. 

The attendance requirement does not necessarily have to be understood in physical terms. If the employer permits it, core working hours can also be spent working from home. What matters is that the employee is reachable during this time.

Core working hours are often implemented as part of flextime models. Alongside the fixed core working hours, there are flextime windows that make it possible to arrange working hours flexibly within certain limits. Read more about the flextime working model here. 

In some companies, core working hours are adjusted seasonally, for example with shorter core hours in summer and longer ones in winter. They can also vary by department, for instance where peak times have to be taken into account. 

How do core working hours work in practice? 

Employers can arrange core working hours flexibly, as long as they are no longer than six hours. Typical examples are windows such as 10:00-16:00 or 12:00-14:00. Outside these times, employees can organise their working hours freely.

Unlike classic flextime, core working hours do not strictly restrict the start or the end of the working day. Employees can take longer breaks before or after the core working hours, which creates additional flexibility.

Who sets them? Do they have to be laid down in the contract? 

There are no statutory rules on core working hours. Employers are therefore free to decide when the core working hours begin and end. However, the works council must give its consent. Without a works council, core working hours can be introduced by means of a work instruction.

Core working hours are rarely set out in individual employment contracts, but this can make sense in certain cases.

What are core working hours for? 

Core working hours have proven to be an effective way of coordinating working hours better. The benefits are varied:

Better collaboration

Core working hours make sure that teams are available at the same time during certain periods. This makes it easier to organise meetings, speeds up decision-making and improves efficiency in projects

Reliability for customers and partners

For customer-facing companies, core working hours provide fixed service hours. Customers and business partners benefit from clear time windows in which contacts are guaranteed to be reachable. 

Flexibility compared with rigid models 

While fixed working hours often leave less room for manoeuvre, core working hours allow a combination of structure and flexibility. Employees can arrange their working day individually outside the core hours without putting the organisation of the business at risk. 

When do core working hours make the most sense? 

Core working hours are particularly suitable for companies that benefit from synchronised working hours, for example in manufacturing, logistics, customer service or project-based work.

Core working hours can also make sense in companies with hybrid working models or a share of home working, in order to guarantee a certain level of presence. Some companies also use core working hours to create a clear separation between meeting time and focused working time.

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How do core working hours work for part-time staff? 

Core working hours for part-time employees depend on how the working hours are distributed: if an employee works few days a week but 8 or 9 hours on those days, the fixed core working hours can be met without any problem. Things look different, however, when employees spread their hours across the whole week and, for example, only work half days. 

There are various ways of handling this version of part-time work: 

• Employer and employee agree individual core working hours for these employees, covering the times when the employee is needed most. 
• Part-time employees cover only the first or the second half of the core working hours. That way they might cover half of the core working hours and half of the flexible working time.
• Part-time employees are deployed only during peak times and work only during the core working hours. 

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What happens if the core working hours are not observed? 

If core working hours are not observed, that can have various consequences, depending on whether the absence is justified, unexcused or repeated: 

1. Absence with a valid reason 

Employers can tolerate absences during core working hours if they have been agreed in advance or are absolutely necessary. Examples are doctor's appointments that cannot be scheduled outside working hours. 

In some companies, a deviation while working from home can be tolerated as long as the results of the work are not affected. 

2. Unexcused absence 

Anyone who regularly fails to observe the core working hours without agreement is in breach of the employment contract or of company rules. This can initially result in a formal warning. 

In the case of repeated unexcused absence or serious breaches, employment law consequences up to and including dismissal are possible. 

3. Effects on the team 

Missing presence can disrupt collaboration, for example when meetings or important discussions cannot take place. That impairs the flow of work and can lead to frustration in the team. 

4. How employers can respond 

Employers should remind staff in good time of the importance of core working hours and define exceptions, e.g. for emergencies. They can also review certain deviations individually so as not to disrupt operations. 

In the case of unexcused absence, it is important to document breaches in order to create a legally compliant basis for possible measures. 

Observing the core working hours is essential for collaboration in the company to work. While justified absences are generally tolerated, repeated breaches can have serious consequences under employment law. 

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Time tracking with core working hours - how it can work

For small businesses with mobile teams in particular, organising and documenting core working hours can quickly become confusing. When did employees actually work? How do you reliably document that core hours are being observed? And how do you avoid conflicts when working hours are not recorded correctly?

This is where clockin comes in: with clockin's digital time tracking, you can document your team's core working hours efficiently and in line with the law - whether they are out on the move or at a desk in the office. Employees can record their working hours flexibly and easily, directly in the app. Core hours, flexible hours and contractual hours can be configured individually and displayed transparently.

And the best part: you are notified automatically as soon as core hours are exceeded or not observed. No more worrying about lost slips of paper or confusing spreadsheets - as an employer, clockin takes the work off your hands. With intuitive software that processes all data automatically and, of course, meets the statutory data protection requirements.

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