Blogpost
A Soccer match lasts 90 minutes and the maximum daily working time is eight hours - or is it? Exceptions to the Working Hours Act during the European Football Championship 2024
April 2024
Dr. Christopher Weuthen
„A Soccer match lasts 90 minutes" – this well-known Soccer wisdom will experience some exceptions during the UEFA European Championship taking place in Germany in the summer of 2024, due to extra time, extensions, and penalty shootouts.
The same applies to the maximum daily working hours set by the Working Hours Act. As a host, North Rhine-Westphalia plays a central role in this major event with four out of ten venues (Dort-mund, Düsseldorf, Gelsenkirchen, and Cologne). To ensure a smooth running of the UEFA EU-RO 2024, the state government has developed a temporary exemption based on § 15 para. 2 ArbZG to protect the rights of employees while ensuring the success of the tournament. We briefly outline the key points of this exemption applicable in NRW.