Austria
According to an OECD report, Austria has the 6th shortest average workweek in the world (35.5hrs)
4 Day Work Week in Austria
Although Austria hasn’t instituted a 4 day work week, many Austrian workers are interested in the idea. When surveyed, 1 out of every 2 Austrians said they would welcome a 4 day work week. Although there is no official pilot in place, some companies in Austria are starting to offer 4 day work weeks as an option to stay competitive.
Although most workers in Austria don’t have a 4 day work week, they still enjoy shorter working hours than workers in most countries. Austria ranks as the country with the 6th shortest work week in the world.
Working Hours in Austria
The average work week in Austria is 35.5 hours. According to the Austrian Working Hours Act, the work week cannot exceed 60 hours per week or 12 hours per day. On a 17 week basis, the work week cannot exceed an average of 48 hours. However, there are some exceptions to this, depending on factors such as the worker’s job or industry.
In Austria, typical office hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM. However, many workers start as early as 8 AM.
Vacation Policy in Austria
Workers in Austria are entitled to vacation time each year. The number of days a worker is entitled to depends on the number of days worked per week. Here is the breakdown:
- 5 days per week: 25 vacation days per year
- 4 days per week: 20 vacation days per year
- 3 days per week: 15 vacation days per year
- 2 days per week: 10 vacation days per year
- 1 day per week: 5 vacation days per year
Employees who have worked for 25 years or more at the same job may receive an extra week of vacation per year. In addition to this, employees in Austria enjoy 13 paid public holidays each year too.
Part Time Working in Austria
Austria has one of the highest rates of part time workers in the EU, with 27.3% of their workforce working part time as of 2018. Of the number of part time workers, 46.9% are women.
Since Covid-19, rates of part time work have increased as Austria has seen a greater emphasis on the importance of work life balance. Many employers have increased the number of part time jobs they offer and reduced the amount of full time jobs.
The number of part time workers in Austria has sharply increased over recent years, jumping from 1.16 million in July of 2019 to 1.3 million as of July of 2022.
Part time workers in Austria get paid “extra hours” if their work time exceeds the expected hours. Premium of 25% for working extra hours.
Remote Working in Austria
As of 2020, Austria had one of the highest rates of employees working from home in the European Union at 18.1% compared to the average in the EU, which was 12.3%.
In May 2021, Austria released new legislation to protect remote workers, outlining what qualifies as remote work and the stipulations attached.
By law, for an employee’s work day to count as remote, it must be done either from within their home or the home of a close family member. Working from a public space such as a cafe or library does not qualify as remote work and will be taxed differently.