Planned work hour reform: The Merz government seeks to abolish the eight-hour workday – and this threatens employees
The German government, led by Merz, is preparing to make radical changes to labor law, including the abolition of the traditional eight-hour workday and replacing it with a weekly maximum for working hours. The stated goal is to improve the balance between work and personal life, while providing greater flexibility for both employees and companies.
According to what was published by Bild, the government intends to allow a 'weekly maximum for working hours instead of a daily limit', which means that an employee may work longer hours on some days and take full days off on others. This change initially targets the tourism sector, but it will be applied in the future to all economic sectors.
The reforms also include financial incentives for overtime work, as overtime hours will be tax-exempt. The government also plans to grant tax exemptions to part-time employees who temporarily increase their working hours. Christoph Blos, the government's coordinator for tourism affairs, confirmed that the decision on flexible working hours will be issued 'this year', emphasizing that the benefits will affect medium-sized companies and the lives of millions of employees in Germany.
In addition, the new tourism strategy aims to reduce the administrative burden on companies, such as lowering contributions to the travel protection fund that protects tourists in the event of travel companies going bankrupt. There will also be a practical review to eliminate unnecessary regulations and reports that weigh down companies, especially smaller ones. Sören Hartmann, president of the German Tourism Association, welcomed the 'clear focus of economic policy' and described it as 'an important signal for the sector.'