Important

Please note that only the German version of these regulations is legally valid. The English version is a support for the reader.

§ 1 Flexitime

1. Within the framework of the flexitime regulations, employees of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences have the opportunity to participate in flexitime.
    
2. Excluded from the following regulations are student and scientific assistants. Their working hours are regulated by the head of the department.
    
3. For employees who do not wish to participate in flexitime, fixed working hours are agreed upon in writing.
    
4. The billing period is based on the period from April 1 of each year to March 31 of the following year.
    
5. In the event of official necessities, a different annual period (billing period) may be established for individual areas of the academy.

§ 2 Working Hours

1.  The regular weekly working hours for full-time employees are 39.5 hours.
    
2.  The core hours start daily at 9:30 a.m. and end on Mondays through Thursdays at 3:30 p.m., and on Fridays at 12:00 p.m., unless business reasons dictate otherwise. Note: In case of absence (e.g., compensatory time off, official duty, business trip, vacation), the availability of a representative should be ensured if possible (e.g., through call forwarding, activated message or answering machine).
    
3.  The period applicable to working hours (framework working hours) starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m.
    
4. To calculate daily surplus and deficit hours, the regularly scheduled working hours (targeted working hours) from Monday to Friday are used as a basis. Currently (excluding breaks):
   Mondays to Thursdays: 8 hours
   Fridays: 7 hours 30 minutes.
    
5. Unless statutory or collective bargaining regulations dictate otherwise, the daily working hours (excluding breaks) must not exceed 10 hours.
    
6. For business reasons, deviations from the start and end times of the framework working hours and core hours may be temporarily or permanently established in individual work areas or for a specific group of employees. The decision is made by the board of the academy. The participation rights of the works council remain unaffected.
    
7. In exceptional cases, the core hours for individual employees may be set differently from Paragraph 2, if and as long as this is necessary for personal reasons of the employee and does not conflict with business requirements. Corresponding requests should be addressed to the president of the academy through official channels via the managing director.

§ 3 Break Regulations

1. The lunch break is at least 30 minutes. It is generally to be taken between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., if compatible with business matters.
    
2. If working hours are up to six hours, the lunch break may be omitted.

§ 4 Flexibility Options for Working Hours

1. Surplus or deficit working hours arising within the framework of flexitime should be balanced as much as possible within the billing period (§ 1 Para. 4). Within the billing period, deficit working hours up to the amount of the regular weekly working hours (§ 2 Para. 1) are permissible. Surplus or deficit working hours can be carried over to the next billing period up to the amount of the regular weekly working hours (§ 2 Para. 1).
    
2. Recuperation leave cannot be taken to compensate for deficit working hours.
    
3. Working hour compensation is possible for up to 24 working days within the billing period, if business reasons do not oppose it; a consolidation to a maximum of five full days in the calendar month is permissible. The request should be made in writing (Appendix 1).
    
4. In exceptional cases, upon a substantiated request, the managing director can allow a consolidation of working hour compensation for up to a total of ten working days within the billing period. The request should be made in writing (Appendix 1).
    
5. For the care of a sick child who has not yet reached the age of 12, or a dependent family member, up to five working days of working hour compensation can be granted upon presentation of a medical certificate. This does not count towards the permissible compensation options.

§ 5 Recording of Working Hours

1. An attendance sheet (Appendix 2) should be maintained to record working hours. The form can be found on the academy's intranet.
    
2. The attendance sheet should be submitted for signature to the department head or their deputy by the 15th day of the following month at the latest. If absent during the first 15 days of the following month, for example due to vacation, sickness, or business trips, the attendance sheet should be submitted on the first day of return.
    
3. The department head should ensure that the attendance sheets are forwarded promptly to the administrative office - preferably within the following month.

§ 6 Absence During Core Hours

1. Attendance during core hours is generally mandatory. Exceptions to this are approved absences for the completion of official duties outside the premises.
    
2. All other absences during core hours (e.g., starting work after the beginning or ending work before the end of core hours) are only permissible with the approval of the respective supervisor. The working time lost due to such absence must be made up.
    
3. Paragraph 2 also applies to absences for medical treatments (e.g., doctor's or dentist's appointments) or other medically necessary measures (e.g., physiotherapy) that cannot be scheduled outside of core hours. The working time lost due to such absences must be made up unless statutory or collective bargaining regulations dictate otherwise.

§ 7 Part-Time Employees

1. The provisions of this flexitime regulation apply analogously to part-time employees.
    
2. When taking compensatory time off, the limits of § 4 apply, regardless of the distribution of the regular weekly working hours.
    
3. The number of transferable surplus or deficit working hours is reduced for part-time employees in proportion to the reduction of their working hours compared to employees covered by § 2 of this flexitime regulation.
    
4. The workdays and the determination of the daily working hours for part-time employees can be agreed upon individually, taking into account business needs. Existing regulations may be maintained. The participation rights of the works council must be observed.

§ 8 Restricted Participation in Flexitime

Employees subject to the provisions of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) can only participate in flexitime to the extent that the daily working time of 8 hours 30 minutes or 90 hours in a fortnight is not exceeded. Accrued time credits up to the time of the reported pregnancy must be balanced within one month. Accrued absences must be balanced within six weeks according to paragraphs 1 and 2.

§ 9 Exclusion from Participation in Flexitime

Employees who repeatedly violate the flexitime regulations can be temporarily or permanently excluded from participation in flexitime.

§ 10 Entry into Force

1. This flexitime regulation enters into force on September 1, 2021.
    
2. The following attachments, which can be found on the academy's intranet, are part of this flexitime regulation:
   Attachment 1: Request for compensatory time off (§ 4 Para. 3)
   Attachment 2: Attendance sheet (§ 5)

Signed,

Schallum Werner
Managing Director

Additional Information

Working Hours During Business Trips

As per § 6 Para. 11 TV-L (Collective Agreement for Public Service of the Federal States), "During business trips, only the time spent on official duties at the external business location is considered as working hours. However, for each day including travel days, at least the respective regular, average, or scheduled working time shall be considered if it would not be met without considering the travel time." Therefore, travel times (duration of outbound and return trips) during a business trip are generally not considered as working hours.

Absences resulting from travels conducted in the interest of the service

For each day, the regularly scheduled working hours (targeted working hours, § 2 Para. 4 Flexitime Regulation) are counted towards the working hours.

Break Regulation in § 3 Flexitime Regulation

The basis for break regulation is the legal provision in § 4 Working Hours Act: "Work must be interrupted by rest breaks of at least 30 minutes for working hours of more than six up to nine hours, and 45 minutes for working hours of more than nine hours in total. Employees must not be employed without a rest break for longer than six consecutive hours."

Work Outside of Framework Working Hours (§ 2 Para. 3 & 4 Flexitime Regulation)

Work hours outside of framework working hours, on weekends, or on public holidays are only counted in justified exceptional cases and after prior consultation with the department head.

Absence of the Department Head

In the absence of the department head over the monthly turnover, the submission of the attendance sheets can generally be postponed until their return. If they are absent for an extended period (e.g., international travel), the attendance sheet will be signed by the academy's managing director.

Working Hours During Academy Events

During public events hosted by the academy, the time of attendance is not considered as working hours. Exceptions apply when active participation is involved (e.g., giving a lecture, providing technical support, hospitality).

Status of this regulation: July 06, 2021