Doctors in Schleswig-Holstein: Thousands of unpaid overtime hours required!

Doctors in Schleswig-Holstein: Thousands of unpaid overtime hours required!

At the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) in Kiel and Lübeck, the working conditions of doctors are currently being criticized. The Marburg Bund For this reason, makes serious allegations. The clinic lacks a tamper-proof system for recording working hours, which is referred to as a “systematic breach of the law”. Michael Wessendorf, the chairman of the Marburg Association of Schleswig-Holstein, is campaigning for better conditions for employed and civil servant doctors.

The current time recording is done digitally via duty roster programs or manually, which has no longer been permitted according to the collective agreement since January 2025. A survey by the Marburger Bund shows alarming figures: tens of thousands of overtime hours are not recognized or paid every week. About two-thirds of doctors have to have their overtime approved, which is often unsuccessful. Almost half report insufficiently recorded hours, which amounts to up to 500 unpaid hours per year.

Working time recording at the center of criticism

Partial resistance comes from the UKSH itself, which rejects the allegations. The clinic operator emphasizes that it is not necessary to implement a classic time clock. In fact, other digital processes such as apps or tables are also permitted. Doctors should be able to independently record their overtime work using the “SP-Expert” documentation system, which claims to meet the collective bargaining requirements. The clinic also refers to a service agreement with the staff councils and emphasizes the need to protect employees.

However, an urgent concern of the Marburger Bund remains the introduction of electronic time recording terminals. From 2026, a weekly working time of 40 hours will be required, which makes complete recording essential. The medical association is therefore also calling for a wage increase of 15 percent to meet the additional challenges.

Survey for recording working hours

A comprehensive survey conducted between March 31 and April 23, 2025 among around 3,500 doctors at state-owned university hospitals provides further interesting insights. Only one in six respondents works under contract-compliant time recording. An alarming result is that 83 percent of respondents stated that tamper-proof, electronic time recording was not available to them in accordance with the collective agreement. 62 percent say they document their working hours digitally, while 17 percent work manually - a relic from the past.

In addition, the survey shows that there is great pressure not to document overtime. More than a quarter of those surveyed said that not submitting overtime for approval is taken for granted. Three-quarters of doctors need to have their overtime approved, but 44 percent report unrecognized hours, despite reporting them to supervisors.

Legal framework

A decisive ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on May 14, 2019 requires all EU member states to introduce a reliable system for measuring daily working hours. According to that Medical Journal The aim is to ensure that the fundamental European right to limit maximum working hours is respected. The ECJ makes it clear that a comprehensive time recording system is indispensable, especially in hospitals, as the natural demarcation between working hours and free time often does not exist.

Time is running out. The clinics are faced with the challenge of recording the working hours of their employees in order to meet legal requirements. It remains to be seen whether the UKSH and similar institutions will adapt their work processes to finally guarantee the protection of their working hours, which is so important for doctors.