Download IQ Good Practice as PDF

including hands-on report and interview with Anne Willecke and Benjamin Heinrichs, Fair Integration project managers in the Network IQ Thuringia

Securely record your working hours

The "Geh auf Nummer sicher – Schreibe deine Stunden auf!" ("Play it safe – note your hours!") tool provides transparency on type and amount of work in nine languages

Starting point/challenge

In the advisory work provided by the Fair Integration project in the Network IQ Thuringia, it was clear that those seeking guidance and their employers often had a different view regarding the type and amount of work performed. This frequently resulted in wages that were lower than expected.

In many cases there was simply insufficient transparency to allow people to claim outstanding payment for work done. It was necessary to find a pragmatic solution, which could reach and support a large and above all highly diverse target group. The decision was taken to develop a user-friendly format that both records working hours in a clear manner and provides information on the basic legal concepts relating to this topic.

Implementing the "Geh auf Nummer sicher!" tool

Employers and employees quite often have a different opinion on how many hours have actually been worked. This is clear from the guidance services in the IQ subproject Fair Integration provided by the DGB- Bildungswerk Thüringia. The project staff drew on their advisory experience and assessed the pros and cons of existing time management systems to create a straightforward, user-friendly tool.

It takes the form of a portable DIN A5 folder which can fit into any bag. The folder contains a pad with tear- off pages to record working hours as well as the location where work was done or various tasks performed. A sample page shows what information must be presented in the event of conflict with one’s employer. The pre-punched weekly overviews can then be safely filed away in the folder. A brief overview of the legal regulations regarding working time completes the tool. The whole thing has been translated into nine languages.

The texts were written in a clear and simple manner to meet the linguistic challenges posed by the target groups. The end result is a convenient and useful support for those seeking guidance. It informs the target group of their rights and empowers them to exercise these rights.

Conclusion

2,000 copies of "Geh auf Nummer sicher – Schreibe deine Stunden auf!" have been printed. People getting advice from Fair Integration receive a copy and often taken an extra copy for people they know. The publication has been distributed to other advice centres, meaning that hundreds of copies are currently in use. User feedback has so far been very positive. Users are pleased to be able to record their working hours in a straightforward manner and thus have more control over their wage payments.

Addressees for transfer:

Advice centres

"Geh auf Nummer sicher – Schreibe deine Stunden auf!" tool

The tool allows you to record working hours. It also provides information on employment law concepts. Based on their advisory experience the "Fair Integration Thüringia" team developed a handy document in DIN A5 format with two components: A pad with tear-off pages to enable transparent recording of working hours as well as a brief overview of legal regulations on working hours. Both are available to interested parties in nine languages. The aim is to provide those seeking advice with a handy and useful form of support so they can be aware of their rights in advance and empowered to exercise these rights.

Project:

Fair Integration

Provider:

DGB - Bildungswerk Thüringen e.V.

Project contact: Anne Willecke, Benjamin Heinrichs; Schillerstr. 44; 99096 Erfurt; +49/361/2172716; Email: anne.willecke(at)dgb-bwt.de, benjamin.heinrichs(at)dgb-bwt.de

Provision:

You can find further information on the services of the "Fair Integration" project as well as important dates at www.faire-integration.dgb-bwt.de 

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