Arbeitszeit: Arbeitszeitbetrug: So können sich Unternehmen wehren

In Berlin, employees are found to be cheating on their work hours by secretly shopping, working out at the gym, or cooking a Bolognese while on the clock. This issue of time fraud is not uncommon in Germany. According to a survey by market research institute Consumerfieldwork, 13% of 1,000 German workers regularly fail to accurately record their hours. Furthermore, three-quarters of participants admitted to doing private activities during work time when they should have been working.

Sascha Stowasser, who leads the Institute for Applied Labor Sciences (IFAA) and has been researching labor market changes for years, emphasizes that time fraud has significant economic consequences. "Sick days are very costly for businesses," he points out. So where does poor workplace morale end, and fraud begin? What can managers do to combat this issue?