Analysis Indicates: Extended Work-Days Under Fresh Work Week Proposal Reveal 12 Hours Per Day Commitment
Potential Extended Workdays under Proposed Weekly Work Hours Plan Raises Concerns
The Hans Böckler Foundation, an organization affiliated with trade unions, has raised concerns about the shift to a weekly working time, suggesting possible workdays lasting up to 12 hours and 15 minutes. According to the foundation's analysis by the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor Law, these extended hours could lead to health risks, increased sick leave, and additional pressure on families, and may even be economically counterproductive. Employer associations, however, have dismissed these concerns.
Under the coalition agreement, the federal government aims to provide the option of a weekly instead of a daily maximum working time. However, if existing rest period regulations are maintained, there must be at least 11 hours between two shifts, and at least 45 minutes of break time during the workday, according to the analysis. Such arrangements could still enable workdays exceeding 12 hours.
Trade unions have been vocally opposed to the proposal, with the chairwoman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Yasmin Fahimi, criticizing it in the "Rheinische Post." Fahimi contends that the plan appears designed to legitimize questionable business practices, such as regular 12-hour shifts with subcontractors in the parcel service or the lack of rest times in the hotel and catering industry.
The analysis by the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor Law offers arguments against the coalition's plans:
Health Concerns
Medical research has long established that working hours exceeding eight raise health risks, often leading to stress-related and psychological issues, increased absenteeism, and premature retirement. The risk of accidents at work and during travel home also increases after eight hours.
Despite these concerns, the coalition agreement states that "high standards in occupational safety" will be upheld, and no employee can be forced to work beyond their preferred hours.
Work-Life Balance
The plan aims to improve work-life balance, but the analysis disputes this, stating that predictability and flexibility in working hours are critical for work-life compatibility. There is a risk that the changes will disproportionately impact women's working hours.
The Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) countered that many employees desire flexibility for family reasons. Stefan Kampeter, BDA chief executive, argued that the continued requirement for rest periods would exclude any risks, and a new legal framework would not impact individually or collectively agreed working hours.
The analysts from the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor Law also highlight the existing flexibility in current labor law, which permits workdays of up to ten hours under certain conditions. In 2023, Germany had a total working time volume of 54.59 billion hours, significantly higher than the level of 52.2 billion hours in 1991. Despite an average weekly working time decrease from around 1,478 hours in 1991 to 1,295 hours in 2023, due to the growing number of part-time employees, the HSI cautions that weakening the Working Hours Act would worsen the situation rather than improve it.
While the trade unions express criticism, a recent poll commissioned by the German Press Agency reveals more public support for the coalition's plans. Thirty-eight percent of respondents favor the proposal to replace the daily maximum working time with a weekly one, while every fifth person rejects it. The remaining 37 percent remain neutral, with supporters hoping to work four days of ten hours instead of five of eight for a longer weekend.
- The proposed weekly work hours plan, aiming to offer flexibility, raises concerns about the potential impact on health-and-wellness, given medical research showing extended work hours increase health risks and psychological issues.
- In the realm of family, the trade unions argue that the plan, while purporting to enhance work-life balance, risks disproportionately affecting women's working hours due to its lack of predictability and flexibility.
- Amidst calls for improved health and work-life balance, the science of workforce wellness reveals that current labor laws provide flexibility, with workdays of up to ten hours already permitted under certain conditions. This points to the general-news debate on the need for a revised Working Hours Act and its potential effects on both employees and employers in politics.
