Changing the schedule: the two-week rule

In Austria the rule is: if the employer decides when someone works, or changes that schedule without an agreement, the working hours for each week must be communicated at least two weeks in advance. This is set out in § 19c (2) item 2 of the Working Time Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz, AZG) and is one of four conditions that must all be met. It is the core of every staff schedule in Austria.

Timing and amount of working time

§ 19c AZG concerns the timing (Lage) of working hours: on which days and at what times someone works. This is different from the amount (Ausmaß), meaning how many hours have been agreed. The employer cannot change the amount unilaterally; for part-time employees a change in the amount requires written form (§ 19d (2) AZG).

The principle: working hours are agreed

Under § 19c (1) AZG, the timing of normal working hours and any change to it are to be agreed, unless they are set by a collective agreement or works agreement. A schedule that everyone affected agrees to therefore satisfies § 19c AZG even at short notice; maximum hours, rest periods and stricter collective-agreement rules still apply.

The four conditions for setting hours unilaterally

Without an agreement, the employer may only set or change the timing of working hours if all four conditions of § 19c (2) AZG are met:

1. Objective justification. There are objective reasons that lie in the nature of the work, such as fluctuating staffing needs in retail.
2. Two weeks’ notice. The working hours for each week are communicated at least two weeks in advance.
3. No conflicting interests. No legitimate interests of the employee stand in the way. For evening and Saturday work, the retail collective agreement gives as examples caring for children and parents, unreasonable journeys home and attending school or further education.
4. No conflicting agreement. If, for example, fixed working days are agreed in the employment contract, the employer cannot move them unilaterally.

In practice: to be on the safe side, announce a week’s schedule no later than two weeks before it starts, and therefore plan on a rolling basis at least three weeks ahead.

Exceptions to the two-week notice

§ 19c (3) AZG allows two deviations from the two-week notice:

• Unforeseeable cases: where the deviation is necessary to prevent a disproportionate economic loss and other measures are not reasonable. Whether that applies is a question of the individual case.
• Collective agreements and works agreements may set different rules for the specific needs of an activity.

All other conditions of § 19c (2) AZG continue to apply in these cases.

Part-time work

For part-time employees, § 19d (2) AZG expressly refers to § 19c (2) and (3), so the two-week rule applies in the same way. Part-timers only have to work additional hours beyond the agreed amount if the law, collective agreement or employment contract provides for it, there is increased demand or preparatory and closing work, and no legitimate interests stand in the way (§ 19d (3) AZG).

What collective agreements make of it

Many collective agreements take up the rule. The retail collective agreement requires that, where working hours vary, they are agreed at least two weeks in advance for each week, “without prejudice to § 19c (3) AZG” (section A.2.3). That is stricter than the mere communication required by the act.

Some collective agreements require more notice. The collective agreement for employees of doctors in Vienna provides that in group practices with averaging, the schedule is to be agreed one calendar month before the first shift it covers (section VI.4). Always check the collective agreement that applies to your business.

Germany is different

Many guides online mention a notice period of four days. That is a German rule from § 12 of the German Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act and applies there only to on-call work. German law has no general statutory notice period for schedules. For businesses in Austria the rule is irrelevant: here the two weeks under § 19c AZG apply.

Checklist for changes

1. Plan on a rolling basis so that every week is fixed at least two weeks before it starts.
2. Announce the schedule in a way that lets you prove the date later.
3. For later changes, obtain and record the agreement of those affected.
4. Rely on § 19c (3) AZG only in genuine exceptions and document the reason.
5. Check your collective agreement and works agreement for stricter or different rules.

In eutempus: The autopilot plans upcoming weeks in the background from your template; publishing is always done by a person. After publishing, the people affected receive changes as a push notification in the app, and planners can see who has read them. eutempus does not check whether the two-week notice has been met; that decision stays with you.

Sources

1. § 19c AZG: timing of normal working hours, RIS (German)
2. § 19d AZG: part-time work, RIS (German)
3. Collective agreement for retail employees and apprentices, as of 1 January 2026 (GPA, German), working time A.2.3 and F.1.10
4. Collective agreement for employees of doctors in Vienna, as of 1 January 2026 (GPA, German), section VI.4
5. § 12 German Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act: on-call work