On March 2, 2026, the course announcement for the 2026/27 winter semester began. On this occasion, we would like to point out a few important conditions for assigning courses.

Course times

For employees covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for universities (KV), teaching assignments may only be assigned between Monday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. This means that employees covered by the KV who are assigned to teach courses by their institute or department may only do so between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. The KV prohibits teaching outside these hours (see § 31 (5)). Since there is currently no operational agreement in place that provides for a different regulation, courses that last until after 9:00 p.m. on weekdays or fall on a Saturday may only be held at the express request of the instructor. An official order to teach during these exceptional hours is not permitted. If the teaching organization proposes course dates that fall outside these permitted teaching hours, possible alternative dates should also be communicated at the same time. In any case, however, there is a right to request course times that fall within the permitted time slots.

In addition to this regulation for teaching assignments resulting from the KV, it is of course also necessary to ensure compliance with the agreed working hours, any specified working days, the mandatory rest periods, and any childcare obligations. Accordingly, the daily working time may not exceed 13 hours. After the end of the daily working time, an eleven-hour rest period must be observed. In addition, a 36-hour weekend rest period must be observed.

Holding of examinations, especially during the major examination week

It should be noted that exams supervised by employees covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for universities may only be held between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Exams outside these times require the express consent of all those involved (e.g., teaching assistants, tutors). If, due to public holidays, it is necessary for the large-scale examination (“Großprüfungen”) organization to propose examination dates on a Saturday during the examination week (“Prüfungswoche”), it is the responsibility of the person responsible for the examination to either obtain the consent of all those involved in the examination or to request a different examination date. As already emphasized, teaching assignments given by WU - which also include the employer's requirement to hold examinations - may only take place between Monday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. With regard to the holding of examinations, attention must also be paid to compliance with the agreed working hours, mandatory rest periods, and any childcare obligations.

^05.03.2026

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