Documenting Breaks Correctly in Time Tracking

Why breaks are often overlooked in time tracking

Among our users I often see breaks simply omitted or rounded to 30 minutes. This quickly leads to inconsistencies, especially when clients or authorities ask for details. Most people who have ever prepared a timesheet export for invoicing know the feeling.

The German Working Hours Act requires clear separation of working time and breaks. The ECJ ruling of 14 May 2019 (C-55/18) and the Federal Labour Court decision of 13 September 2022 (1 ABR 22/21) reinforced the obligation for objective recording of working hours. In practice this means breaks must be traceable.

How long can breaks be and when do they count as working time?

Basically, breaks of 15 minutes or more are not counted as working time. Shorter interruptions, like a quick coffee at the desk, usually remain working time. Exact documentation matters here.

A realistic example from freelancer life: You work from 9:00 to 17:30. You take a lunch break from 12:00 to 12:45 and two short 10-minute breaks. Total working time is then 7 hours 25 minutes. If the short breaks are not recorded separately, a 20-minute discrepancy per day appears fast.

Calculation example with real numbers

Let’s take a freelancer charging €85 per hour. At 22 working days per month and an average of three undocumented 10-minute breaks per day: 22 days × 30 minutes = 11 hours. 11 hours × €85 = €935 in lost or incorrectly billed revenue. This is not an isolated case I hear about in conversations with users.

Practical ways to record breaks cleanly

The simplest method is to mark breaks directly in the app as separate entries. Many users start a timer for lunch and stop it again. This automatically creates clear proof.

Another approach: manual entries in the timesheet with exact times. It is important that start and end of the break are visible. A simple note “30 min break” is often not enough when a client demands detailed evidence.

Special case: breaks during remote work

With remote work boundaries blur quickly. A short walk or picking up a child from daycare should also be recorded. Otherwise the entire recorded time risks being questioned.

I myself used to forget these breaks often. Only when a client asked for a detailed breakdown did I realise how much time was actually lost.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is deducting a flat 30 or 60 minutes. This may work in some industries but leads to inaccuracies with flexible hours.

Another pitfall: breaks are taken but not logged in the system. When exporting the timesheet the correct times are missing. That is why I recommend stopping breaks during work rather than adding them in the evening.

Comparison: manual notes vs dedicated app

The table shows why many switch to an app. For simple cases Excel templates may still suffice, but with growing teams or frequent client invoices it quickly becomes confusing.

How Jomawo supports break tracking

In our work time tracking you can mark breaks directly in the timer or add them later. Reports then automatically show net working time without breaks. This saves time during invoicing and creates clear records.

Another advantage: you can define break rules per project or client. This way lunch breaks are automatically deducted for some clients but not for others.

Internal links to related articles

If you want to dive deeper into the legal side, the article Working Time Recording Obligation in Germany for Freelancers provides more details. Practical everyday tips can also be found in 5 Tips for Efficient Time Tracking in Daily Life.

All in all it pays off to document breaks cleanly from the start. It saves a lot of follow-up work later and protects against unnecessary discussions.

Try it out directly at jomawo.com/en.