Although Austria is known for having a strong work-life-balance culture, many people are still asked to do overtime.
Whether it's a marketing agency, language school, a bank or a supermarket, lots of businesses in Austria are short-staffed and often call on employees to take on extra hours.
But many are not compensated for the extra work. Statistik Austria’s latest annual figures show that 45.9 million overtime and extra-work hours went unpaid in 2025, equivalent to 27 percent of all such hours worked.
The Austrian Trade Union Federation estimates that employees consequently missed out on €2.5 billion in gross pay.
Here are some answers to common questions on overtime and extra work so you know what your rights are, as well as the latest updates in 2026.
What exactly is overtime in Austria?
Overtime, known as Überstunden in German, is generally defined as any work beyond the standard weekly limit of 40 hours or the regular working day of typically eight hours, says the Austrian Trade Union Federation.
However, these limits can also be defined differently, for example, in the case of a four-day work week or flexitime.
There's also something called "extra work" or Mehrarbeit, which is different to overtime (more on that below).
How much overtime am I allowed to do in Austria?
Where there is increased demand for work, up to 20 hours of overtime per week may be permitted. However, overtime must have a specific justification and cannot simply be required permanently as part of the normal working pattern.
However, an employee's daily working time cannot exceed 12 hours, and the weekly working time cannot exceed 60 hours, including overtime.
The law further states that the average weekly working time over a period of 17 weeks may not exceed 48 hours.
These rules are in place to protect workers' rights.
READ ALSO: What Austria's salary data shows about age, experience and gender pay gaps
What should I get for working overtime in Austria?
Employers are required to pay a 50 percent bonus for any overtime worked, says Austria's Business Service Portal.
However, this payment can be replaced by time off in lieu if both parties agree, with employees accruing 1.5 hours of compensatory leave for every hour of overtime.
If overtime causes daily working hours to exceed 10 hours or weekly working hours to exceed 50 hours, employees have the right to choose independently whether they prefer monetary compensation or time off in lieu.
Meanwhile, employees who work on a public holiday must legally receive at least double pay: their normal holiday pay plus pay for the hours worked.
For Sundays, there is no universal bonus but employees usually receive extra pay that is decided through collective agreements or contracts. The exact rate varies by sector.
Under the law, the overtime bonus has to be paid even if the overtime itself was not lawfully permitted.
Can your boss order you to work overtime?
In principle, yes, unless your employment contract states otherwise.
If you have important reasons, such as childcare or an urgent doctor's appointment, you do not have to work overtime.
The key factor is that the operational reasons must outweigh personal ones. If you have any questions about this or are unsure, your works council or trade union can help.
Meanwhile, if someone has already worked 50 hours a week or 10 hours a day, they can refuse to work further overtime without giving any reason.
Artificial flowers are snow covered as a fiacre passes by in Vienna, Austria on February 16, 2026. (Photo by Joe Klamar / AFP)
What is extra work (Mehrarbeit)?
If someone works part-time, for example, 20 hours per week under their contract, but then works 30 hours per week, this is classed as 10 hours of extra work (Mehrarbeit)**.
Overtime only applies when the statutory working time of 40 hours per week or eight hours per day is exceeded.
Additional work also accrues for full-time employees between the collective agreement and the statutory normal working hours.
Here's an example: if a collective agreement provides for a 38.5-hour week and someone works four additional hours, that is 1.5 hours of extra work and 2.5 hours of overtime.
When should I claim overtime pay?
If you have not received overtime pay or agreed time off in lieu, make a written claim as quickly as possible.
Unpaid employment claims generally become time-barred after three years, but employment contracts and collective agreements can contain much shorter Verfallsfristen, or forfeiture periods. These are often only three to six months and may require you to claim the money in writing before the deadline.
Check your contract and collective agreement, keep proof of your claim and contact your works council, trade union or the Arbeiterkammer if the employer refuses to pay.
Can employers be penalised for breaking overtime rules?
There is no special automatic penalty or extra payment owed to an employee solely because an employer initially failed to pay their overtime. Employees may need to claim the outstanding remuneration or take the case to court.
However, that does not mean employers face no penalties for working-time violations. Employers are responsible for complying with maximum working hours and can face administrative fines of between €72 and €1,815 for breaches, rising to between €145 and €1,815 for repeat offences.
The Austrian Trade Union Federation is calling for a separate financial deterrent when overtime remuneration is withheld. Its proposal would require employers to pay double remuneration for the affected hours.
What new rules about working hours should I be aware of?
From January 1st 2026, the tax exemption for ordinary overtime supplements covers the supplements paid on the first 15 qualifying overtime hours each month, up to a maximum of €170.
This does not make the whole overtime payment tax-free. The basic pay for the hours worked remains taxable, and the exemption generally covers no more than a 50 percent supplement.
A separate combined tax exemption of up to €400 per month can cover qualifying supplements for Sunday, public-holiday and night work, related overtime supplements and certain other allowances.
From 2026, the statutory pay for hours actually worked on a public holiday is also expressly included within this €400 limit. Ordinary pay for working on a Sunday is not automatically tax-free.
Another change is that Austria is moving towards more transparency regarding working hours.
Since January 1st 2026, employers have had to state the agreed amount of working time when registering a new employee for social insurance.
The requirement concerns the employee’s contracted working time, rather than the number of hours they actually work in a particular week. An electronic registration that omits the information is rejected and treated as not having been submitted.
The change is intended to improve official data on working hours and make the registered extent of employment clearer.
Experts say that people working in Austria should document any extra hours they work and let their manager know regularly.
One important thing to note is that freelancersm and others who are self-employed in Austria, generally do not have a legal right to paid overtime as they are not covered by the Working Time Act. Payment for any extra hours will likely be in the freelancer's contract or negotiated beforehand.
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