Time tracking in security services: What is mandatory

In 2019, the European Court of Justice ruled that member states must require employers to use an objective, reliable, and accessible system for recording working time. In 2022, the Federal Labour Court followed suit and concluded from the Arbeitsschutzgesetz that this duty already applies in Germany.

In practice, this means: Anyone waiting for the Arbeitszeitgesetz to regulate the details is waiting for clarification, not for the duty to begin.

The start, end, and thus the duration of daily working time must be documented, including rest breaks. Recording overtime alone is not enough. The records must be reliable, which means they cannot be changed arbitrarily after the fact.

Unlike in an office, there is no fixed workplace with a time clock. Security officers work at changing sites, and in mobile patrol services even at several sites per shift, often at night and across midnight. Recording this on paper or by verbal report is neither reliable nor practical.

In addition, the recorded times are also the basis for premiums and payroll. Inaccuracies therefore have a double impact.

Mobile recording directly at the deployment site has proven effective: The security officer clocks in via the app, the event is recorded with a timestamp, and a geofence ensures that this is only possible at the site. Important for data protection: Only the clock-in and clock-out event is recorded, not continuous location tracking.

Balerion Security implements exactly this, see mobile time tracking. The approved hours then flow directly into payroll, without the data having to be handled a second time.