Shift planning and time tracking for manufacturing and farming

• From late straight into early

  When people swap at short notice, someone easily ends up back on the line at 6 am after a late shift that finished at 10 pm. That leaves only eight hours in between. Samwise shows you while you plan.

• Maintenance at the weekend

  At the plant, Saturday and Sunday belong to maintenance. Sunday work, though, is only allowed as an exception: where the Working Hours Act permits it or the authorities have approved it. Samwise asks what each Sunday shift at the plant is based on, and you enter a permit from the authorities with its expiry date.

• Apprentices under 18

  Young workers may as a rule only work between 6 am and 8 pm, so the night shift is not an option for them. Samwise points this out while you plan.

• Harvest time and the animals

  Seasonal workers join for the harvest, and someone has to look after the animals at the weekend too. With Samwise everyone clocks in with a single tap on their phone or with their own PIN at the time clock, which keeps running if the internet drops for a moment. So every helper’s hours are on record.

• Manufacturing and industry

  Show the rulesHide the rules

  Sundays and public holidays

  only under a legal exception or with a permit

  Rest between two shifts

  at least 11 hours

  Sundays off per year

  at least 15

  Under-18s

  6 am to 8 pm, a working day of up to 10 hours including breaks, then at least 12 hours off, not at weekends or on public holidays, and only until 2 pm on 24 and 31 December

  Immediate registration when new staff start

  usually not required

• Meat processing (excluding craft butchers with up to 49 people)

  Show the rulesHide the rules

  Sundays and public holidays

  only under a legal exception or with a permit

  Rest between two shifts

  at least 11 hours

  Sundays off per year

  at least 15

  Under-18s

  6 am to 8 pm, a working day of up to 10 hours including breaks, then at least 12 hours off, not at weekends or on public holidays, and only until 2 pm on 24 and 31 December

  Immediate registration when new staff start

  yes; Samwise reminds you before the first shift once you have confirmed this

• Farming and livestock

  Show the rulesHide the rules

  Sundays and public holidays

  allowed if the work can’t be done on a weekday

  Rest between two shifts

  at least 10 hours, if another rest period within the same calendar month or within four weeks lasts at least 12 hours to make up for it. Samwise keeps track.

  Sundays off per year

  at least 15

  Under-18s

  6 am to 8 pm, a working day of up to 10 hours including breaks, then at least 12 hours off, not at weekends or on public holidays, and only until 2 pm on 24 and 31 DecemberExceptions you can switch on:

  • a working day of up to 11 hours including breaks
  • in farming, from age 16, from 5 am or until 9 pm
  • Saturdays, as a rule with two Saturdays a month off
  • Sundays, if two Sundays a month stay free

  Immediate registration when new staff start

  usually not required

• Where Sunday work needs a legal exception or a permit, Samwise points out every Sunday and public holiday shift. If a legal exception applies to you, for example in the Working Hours Act or a rule of your state, or the authorities have given you a permit, you confirm the shift with that reason. A permit only needs to be entered once.
• For every Sunday worked, Samwise looks out for a day off in lieu, and it counts how many Sundays a year stay free for each person.
• Samwise only applies exceptions for under-18s once you switch them on for a team or a shift.
• Where the table shows yes for immediate registration (Sofortmeldung), new staff must be registered with social insurance no later than when they start work. You still submit the regular registration as usual. Everyone must also carry their ID card, passport or an official substitute document at work. You must tell all employees about this ID rule in writing, new staff before they start work, and keep the notices. Samwise asks you whether immediate registration applies to your business. Until you answer, Samwise points it out. Once you confirm that it applies, Samwise reminds you to register each new person before their first shift.
• In farming and livestock farming, under-18s may only do work on Sundays that has to be done that day, such as in the barn.
• In livestock farming, 6 Sundays off a year are enough with a collective agreement. To be on the safe side, Samwise counts 15.

For every business, Samwise also keeps track of maximum working hours, breaks, maternity protection and the mini-job earnings limit.

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose your industry

   Samwise sets up the teams, activities and shifts you see above. You can rename or remove any of them. For farming and livestock, you set them up yourself.

2. 2

   Step 2: Bring over your staff list

   Upload it as an Excel or CSV file. Samwise shows any errors row by row before anything is saved.

3. 3

   Step 3: Invite your team by link

   Everyone gets their own link or QR code and fills in the staff questionnaire on their own phone.

4. 4

   Step 4: Set up a tablet as the time clock

   Open the time clock in the tablet’s browser and print the PINs. That’s all it takes.

5. 5

   Step 5: Plan your first week

   You set up your usual week once, and Samwise drafts every new week from it. As soon as you release the plan, your team sees it on their phones.

With the industry templates, you set up Samwise yourself. If you ask us to keep you posted by 31 January 2027 and become a customer by 31 March 2027, we set it up together with you free of charge.