Arbeitszeit: Arbeitszeitbetrug: So können sich Unternehmen wehren

Working time fraud: How companies can combat it

Workplace time fraud, also known as working time fraud, occurs when employees deceive their employers by pretending they are working while engaging in other activities. In Germany, 13 percent of 1,000 employed individuals reported not properly recording their working hours in a survey conducted by the market research institute Consumerfieldwork. Three-quarters of the participants admitted to completing private tasks while they should have been working.

Workplace time fraud is not a trivial offense; it has significant economic implications for companies. Sascha Stowasser, director of the Institute for Applied Labor Research (IFAA), explains that absenteeism is particularly costly for businesses. The question then arises: when does poor workplace morale become fraud, and what can managers do to prevent it?

Legally, workplace time fraud is clear: "Who intentionally pretends to work while doing something else is committing fraud," says Michael Fuhlrott, a certified labor lawyer. While the practical difference between an employee who works in a home office for three hours instead of at their desk or hangs up laundry for a short time may vary, the violation of duty remains the same. Even a short, undocumented break constitutes a breach of duty.

Workplace time fraud can have far-reaching consequences. Those who intentionally deceive may face immediate termination, as seen in a case at a transportation company in early 2025. A train ticket control officer who spent time at his girlfriend's place, cafes, or the hairdresser was immediately dismissed and had to cover the cost of a private investigator, which amounted to 21,000 euros.

However, these are extreme cases. Work tribunals would typically establish a clear line but also consider the intensity and duration of the fraud. A person who has worked at the same company for 30 years but only missed a 20-minute time entry is treated differently than someone who has worked there for only two years and regularly falsifies several hours.

Financial compensation for damages, as seen in the Köln case, is rare. Although fraud is technically a crime, state prosecutors usually show little interest in pursuing it.

However, employees should keep in mind that being fired for workplace time fraud may result in a three-month unemployment benefit waiting period. Work fraud is not a new problem; employees have been secretly engaging in private matters during work for decades. This can include browsing social media like Facebook or eBay instead of working on a new project or making private phone calls.

Most employees, according to work researcher Stowasser, do not act out of spite or malicious intent but often do so due to poorly set goals and inadequate leadership. Clear objectives often lead to empty spaces that employees fill with their own activities, such as running errands or browsing the internet. When managers fail to notice such violations over an extended period, it is a clear sign of poor leadership.