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Under section 8 TzBfG, the ordinary statutory reduction claim generally requires employment lasting more than six months and an employer normally employing more than fifteen employees, excluding vocational trainees.
What needs checking
The request normally must be made in text form at least three months before the intended start. The employer’s decision has its own deadline. Operational grounds, the requested distribution and procedural requirements must be assessed. Temporary part-time under section 9a has different conditions.
Practical next steps
Record the requested hours and pattern, discuss workable alternatives and answer in the required form on time. Do not use dismissal-protection headcount thresholds for a part-time request.
Prepare for the review
Send the relevant contract or policy, a short chronology, the correspondence and any document showing a deadline. Explain the outcome you need and any steps already taken.
Read the full topic guide and legal sources · All services
Updated: 8 November 2026.
Further practical examples
Illustrative scenarios; these are not reports of client matters or promised outcomes.
Scenario 1
An employee requests morning-only work. Distribution and concrete organisational objections are assessed.
Scenario 2
An employer responds shortly before the requested start. Consequences of the statutory response deadline need review.
Scenario 3
A temporary reduction is to be extended. Entitlement, waiting periods and an agreed alternative are assessed.