Employment law 

Working time regulations: As an employee in Germany, you are not allowed to work more than 10 hours per day. Your average daily working time must not exceed 8 hours. In exceptional cases, you are allowed to work up to 10 hours per day.

Continued payment of wages: You must also receive your wages when you are on holiday, on public holidays and when you are sick. Holidays, public holidays and illness must not lead to a reduction in wages.

Break regulations: You are required to take breaks in accordance with your daily working hours. If your working time is between 6 and 9 hours, you must take a break of at least 30 minutes. If your working time is more than 9 hours, you must take a break of at least 45 minutes.

Sunday and public holiday work: As an employee in Germany, you are not allowed to work on Sundays and public holidays. Employees are fundamentally not allowed to work on Sundays and public holidays.

Recording of working time: You should note down your daily working times as an employee. The recorded working hours should show your daily working times and breaks. Your working time begins when you arrive at work. Your working times include all your daily jobs, for example sorting parcels or working in the warehouse.

Performance-independent remuneration: As a delivery agent, you must be paid according to the time you actually work rather than the number of parcels you deliver. The wages of delivery agents or couriers must not be calculated according to the distance travelled or the quantity of parcels delivered.

Data protection: You are obliged to protect data as an employee. The personal data (e.g. names, addresses of customers) must be protected. For example, customer information may not be photographed with a privately owned mobile phone.

Employment contract: You have to be given an employment contract from the time you start working as an employee. Your employment contract has to be available in writing and be signed by you and your employer.

Overtime compensation: As an employee, you must receive compensation for your overtime – either in the form of payment or as time off in lieu. Overtime can be recorded in a working time account. If there is no working time account, the overtime must be credited as time off in lieu or as a monetary payment that is due within the same month.

Statutory minimum wage: You receive at least the statutory minimum wage as an employee. Since 1 January 2026, there has been a minimum wage of €13.90 per hour in Germany.