German court: mechanic can have back pay for time spent changing, but not for showers

BERLIN – A German court says a municipal bus mechanic can have hundreds of euros (dollars) in back pay for time spent changing into his work clothes — but not for time he spent showering.

The state labour court in Duesseldorf said the man and the local transport authority in Oberhausen reached a settlement Monday that will see him get 375 euros ($412) to cover the 10 minutes per day that he spent changing into and out of his uniform over a seven-month period last year.

The plaintiff also had sought to be paid for a daily 10 minutes spent in the shower after work, But the court questioned whether that could be counted as time on the job and also wondered “whether 10 minutes is not too long for a shower.”