Maximum working time in Austria (2026)

Last reviewed: 30 October 2026

In short: Normal working time may not exceed 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Total working time is capped at 12 hours a day and 60 hours a week, and the average may not exceed 48 hours a week over 17 weeks. Daily rest is 11 hours and weekly rest 36 hours including Sunday.

RuleWhat applies
Maximum average weekly working timeEmployees (adults) in general employment48 hours [1]
Maximum daily working timeEmployees (adults) in general employmentNormal working time may not exceed 8 hours a day. Total daily working time may not exceed 12 hours. [1]
Minimum daily restEmployees (adults) in general employment11 hours [2]
Minimum weekly restEmployees (adults) in general employmentAn uninterrupted rest of 36 hours in each calendar week, which must include Sunday (Wochenendruhe). [3]
Normal full-time working weekEmployees (adults) in general employmentNormal working time may not exceed 40 hours a week, unless the Arbeitszeitgesetz provides otherwise. [4]
Individual opt-out from the weekly maximumEmployees (adults) in general employment⚠ Not yet verified

Notes

  • Section 9(1) also caps weekly working time at 60 hours and daily working time at 12 hours. Where more than 48 hours in a week is allowed, the average over 17 weeks may not exceed 48 hours; a collective agreement can extend the period to 26 weeks, or to 52 weeks for technical or work-organisation reasons. Section 9(5) lists cases where this averaging does not apply.
  • Section 3 sets the daily normal working time at 8 hours; section 9(1) caps total daily working time at 12 hours, with exceptions in section 9(2).
  • A collective agreement may shorten the daily rest to 8 hours, with compensation within ten calendar days (§ 12 Abs. 2); shortening below 10 hours needs further protective measures. Separate rules apply to hotels and restaurants (§ 12 Abs. 2a).
  • The weekend rest must begin by Saturday 13:00 at the latest, with other times for some work and shift systems (§ 3 Abs. 2 to 4). Exceptions are in §§ 2 Abs. 2 and 10 to 18 of the Arbeitsruhegesetz.
  • Normal working time may be spread differently by law or collective agreement, as the rest of the Arbeitszeitgesetz provides.
  • No source read states whether an individual opt-out from the weekly limit exists.

Sources

  1. Bundeskanzleramt (RIS): Arbeitszeitgesetz § 9 – Bundesrecht konsolidiert (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources
  2. Bundeskanzleramt (RIS): Arbeitszeitgesetz § 12 – Bundesrecht konsolidiert (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources
  3. Bundeskanzleramt (RIS): Arbeitsruhegesetz § 3 – Bundesrecht konsolidiert (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources
  4. Bundeskanzleramt (RIS): Arbeitszeitgesetz § 3 – Bundesrecht konsolidiert (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources

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General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.