Any professional-level job will require more than a 40 hour week, even in heavily regulated and union-dominated Germany. This is usually covered by a paragraph in employment contracts and colleagues will look down their bespectacled noses at anyone clocking out before the job is done. Most other jobs are covered by union or unified labour agreements that establish a working week at about 35 hours, often with unpaid lunch breaks. Legally, Saturday is considered a working day in Germany and might be included in the weekly tally of hours with no extra pay. Practically, weekend work is rare unless you’ve picked a job in tourism or retail.

Getting time off to complete the stacks of paperwork required by life in Germany isn’t difficult because everyone has to deal with bureaucrats several times a year.