The German government stirs controversy with new work plans
The German government is seeking to modify the work system to be calculated on a weekly basis instead of daily, which could allow for a workday of up to 12 hours and 15 minutes. This was revealed by a study published by the Hans-Böckler Foundation associated with labor unions, warning that this change could lead to increased health risks, a rise in sick days, and exacerbated pressures on family life.
The analysis prepared by the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor Rights indicated that this step could be "economically harmful," despite the government's commitment in the coalition agreement to maintain "high standards of labor protection" and not to oblige any employee to increase their working hours against their will. The government agreement also confirms that this amendment aims to improve the balance between work and family life, which the study strongly doubts.
According to current laws, there should be a rest period of at least 11 hours between shifts, with a requirement to allocate 45 minutes of break during the workday, theoretically making it possible to work more than 12 hours a day.
Labor unions strongly oppose this plan, seeing it as an attempt to circumvent labor laws established since 1918, which set the workday at 8 hours. DGB President Yasmin Fahimi stated in an interview with the "Rheinische Post" that the real goal is to "legalize questionable work models," such as the repeated 12-hour shifts at subcontracted shipping companies or the absence of rest periods in the hotel and restaurant sectors.
Health warnings have been clear: medical studies have long confirmed that working more than 8 hours is harmful to health. The likelihood of developing mental illnesses and chronic stress increases, leading to higher absenteeism and early exit from the labor market. The risk of accidents also rises after the eighth hour of work, whether at the workplace or during the commute home.
Experts from the HSI Institute clarified that the current law indeed allows for a workday of up to 10 hours under specific conditions, and therefore they see no need to change it. They also pointed out that the total working hours in Germany in 2023 reached 54.59 billion hours, surpassing the figure of 52.2 billion hours in 1991. However, the average individual working hours decreased from 1,478 hours in 1991 to 1,295 hours in 2023, due to the increase in the proportion of part-time workers, which reached about one-third. As a result, the average weekly working hours is only 34.7 hours, which is a low rate compared to other European countries.