Working weeks vary by industry sector

Overtime is often payable at premium rates. There are legal restrictions on the
maximum amounts of overtime that can be worked and the trade unions often
add to this by putting pressure on managements and on workers’ councils to be
reticent about requiring or approving overtime. Their hope is to force additional
employment.

In any case, the current trend is towards more flexible models of
working time to allow employees to work in advance or in arrear as dictated by
the mutual interests of employer and employee but without having to worry
about a cash settlement.