Plan your workday: breaks and tasks.

Breaks and rest periods: the rules in Germany

For employees in Germany, the Working Hours Act sets minimum breaks and rest periods (accessed 31.10.2026). Other countries have their own rules.

Collective agreements, company agreements and special rules, for example for shift work, may differ.

Spread tasks by effort

Three short meetings can cost more than one long work block. It helps to give each task a rough effort and to balance full days deliberately:

• Focused work in the hours when you feel most alert.
• Group meetings instead of scattering them across the day.
• Count trips: commuting, shopping after work and appointments are part of the day.
• Leave a buffer for the unexpected.

Planning your workday in mypacing

In the day plan you put tasks into morning, midday and evening and assign energy points. Breaks such as the rest moment do not count towards the budget. You save a typical workday as a template and reuse it on other days; as a calendar file (.ics) the plan goes into your calendar. mypacing does not suggest a plan; you decide.

Schedule breaks

Breaks that only happen “when there is time” often get dropped on full days. The break rhythm in mypacing is an interval timer with reminders whose active and break times you set yourself. For a short pause there is the rest moment with a ball that follows your breathing.

Keeping the week in view

The week view in the day plan shows which days are already fully planned. With tags such as “home office” or “project week” you mark days and later put days with and without a tag side by side. mypacing describes this but draws no conclusions.

Frequently asked questions

How much break am I entitled to at work in Germany?

Under Section 4 of the German Working Hours Act, at least 30 minutes for more than six and up to nine hours of work and 45 minutes for more than nine hours, split into blocks of at least 15 minutes. Collective or company agreements may add rules. Other countries have their own rules.

How much rest is required between two working days in Germany?

Under Section 5 of the Working Hours Act, generally at least eleven uninterrupted hours; some sectors have exceptions.

How do I plan demanding tasks?

Many people put focused work in the hours when they feel most alert and spread demanding meetings across the week. In mypacing you can put tasks with energy points into your day plan.

Can I save my workday as a template?

Yes. In the mypacing day plan you save a plan as a template and reuse it on other days. As a calendar file (.ics) it can go into your calendar.

Does mypacing replace advice on fitness for work?

No. mypacing is a planning and diary tool, not a medical device, and does not replace medical or occupational health advice.

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