Longer Workdays Proposed by Merz - Threat to Family Time
The German government, led by Friedrich Merz, has announced plans to reform the Working Hours Act, a move that has evoked mixed feelings among citizens, particularly employees. The proposed reform aims to increase the weekly working time from a maximum of 40 hours to 48 hours, giving employees more flexibility in arranging their working hours and enabling companies to better adapt to order fluctuations.
However, concerns about the potential impact on employees' health and personal lives have been raised. A study by the Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut (WSI) of the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung argues that long working hours, such as the proposed 12-hour workdays, increase health risks and accident rates significantly. Medical examinations in the field of occupational medicine confirm this argument, with the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor Law (HSI) also backing the claim that long working hours increase the risk of illness.
The new study by the Hans-Boeckler-Foundation further supports this view, suggesting that the organization of daily life would suffer under the new working hours. If implemented, the reform would leave employees with even less time for their families due to the proposed 12-hour days. A majority of the over 2,000 respondents in the study prefer to work less.
On the other hand, the Bavarian Economic Association supports the legislative revision of the Working Hours Act, presenting an argument that more than eight hours of work per day is not harmful to health. They argue that the reform will provide companies with the flexibility they need to manage order fluctuations and adapt to the changing business environment.
The proposed reform also aims to change the maximum working time from a daily basis to a weekly basis, allowing employees to spread their work hours over seven days instead of five. However, this could significantly reduce regeneration time and time spent with family members.
As the government moves forward with the reform, it remains to be seen how it will balance the needs of businesses with the well-being and personal lives of employees. The reform, if implemented, could have far-reaching implications for the work-life balance in Germany.
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