Betriebsferien. Many German companies close entirely for a fixed period, commonly in summer or between Christmas and New Year, with the works council agreeing the dates. Nobody is covering. Nobody is on call. The building is shut.
Celebration evening
Celebration-evening. The German word for the end of the working day, and there is no English equivalent because English has no word for the thing.
Ich mache Feierabend — I am making Feierabend — is a complete sentence and a complete explanation. The day’s work is over, and what follows is not called leisure or free time. It is called a celebration.
The Working Hours Act
Das Arbeitszeitgesetz. German law caps the working day at eight hours, extendable to ten only if the average returns to eight within six months. The ten-hour limit is absolute. Eleven uninterrupted hours of rest are required between working days. Breaks are mandatory: thirty minutes after six hours of work, forty-five after nine.
Since a Federal Labour Court ruling in 2022, all working time must be recorded.