Working hours of teachers: Federal Court overturns compensation for overtime worked by a head teacher

The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has ruled that teachers do not automatically qualify for financial compensation if they exceed their weekly working hours. To receive compensation, teachers must first notify their employer of their excessive workload and, if necessary, postpone tasks. The court did acknowledge a structural issue with tracking teachers' working hours, but this was not part of the case.

The ruling concerned a primary school headmaster from Hannover who was awarded €31,435.59 in compensation by the Lüneburg Higher Administrative Court, a decision that was overturned on appeal by the state of Niedersachsen.