Break modes: automatic or manual

Break modes in Shiftdesk

Breaks are one of the most common points of dispute in payroll. Shiftdesk offers five modes so you can choose the right strategy for each team.

The five modes

Mode	Behavior	When it makes sense
none	No automatic break. Only what was actually clocked or entered counts.	Office without a mandatory break (shifts under 6 h)
auto_deduct	The statutory minimum break is deducted automatically when the gross time requires it. A longer actual break overrides the minimum value.	Standard for most companies
from_plan	The break from the schedule always counts, regardless of what was clocked.	Plan-based teams, trust-based working time
from_plan_or_clock_if_more	The plan break is the basis — unless the employee took a longer break (clocked).	A fair mixed solution: plan as the lower bound, clocking as the correction
manual	Breaks are recorded exclusively by the employee or manager.	On-call services, field service, home work

Statutory minimum breaks (DACH)

Shiftdesk knows the national break rules and applies them in the auto_deduct mode:

Country	When more than	Minimum break
Germany (ArbZG)	6 h	30 min
Germany (ArbZG)	9 h	45 min
Austria (AZG)	6 h	30 min
Switzerland (ArG)	5.5 h	15 min
Switzerland (ArG)	7 h	30 min
Switzerland (ArG)	9 h	60 min

These rules are configurable in case your collective agreement differs.

Example calculation — auto_deduct (Germany)

Clocked times: 08:00 to 17:30 = 9 h 30 min gross
Clocked break: 20 min
Required under ArbZG (>9 h): 45 min
Effective break: 45 min (the minimum break applies)
Net: 8 h 45 min

Setting the break mode

Go to Settings → Time tracking → Breaks. Choose the mode and, if applicable, deviating break rules. The setting can be made per organization, location, department or employee.

Tip

For hospitality and retail, auto_deduct is the standard. For office teams with trust-based working time, from_plan is suitable. For on-call services, manual is the only correct choice.