Proposed Government Measure: Extending Regular Work Days to a 12-Hour Duration
Government Plans May Permit Workdays Beyond Twelve Hours, Study Suggests
According to a study from the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor Law (HSI), part of the Hans Böckler Foundation, government plans for a simplified weekly maximum working time could potentially allow for workdays exceeding twelve hours.
The researchers, Amélie Sutterer-Kipping and Laurens Brandt, explain that under this proposed system, a daily maximum working time of 12 hours and 15 minutes would be feasible after subtracting the minimum rest period of 11 hours and a 45-minute break. Further limitations on daily working hours would only be enforceable through rest times and breaks.
The authors of the study caution that a liberalization of daily working hours could exacerbate health issues among workers and negatively impact their well-being. They cite health problems such as stress, burnout, and potential brain changes associated with extended work hours.
Given that the current legal framework already allows for some work-hour flexibility, the researchers also warn against the further erosion of compatibility between work and family life, particularly for women in the workforce.
On the positive side, more influence on the distribution of working hours may enable employees to better balance work and care responsibilities. However, the study highlights that the coalition agreement offers no concrete measures on this matter. Therefore, the HSI experts contend that implementing a simple weekly working time is not responsible and not an appropriate solution to the issue of equal care work distribution.
Under present regulations, employees are limited to eight hours of work per day, though exceptions allow for work up to ten hours. The weekly working time is also capped at 48 hours, subject to exceptions. The agreed-upon changes in the coalition agreement between the Union and the SPD are set to replace the eight-hour workday rule with a weekly maximum working time.
The study's findings suggest that simplifying and enforcing a weekly maximum working time could contribute to improved employee health, better work-life balance, and a more equitable distribution of care work, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for workers and their families.
- The proposed changes in the coalition agreement between the Union and the SPD, which aim to replace the eight-hour workday rule with a weekly maximum working time, could potentially open discussions about implementing vocational training programs within extended workdays, allowing employees to upskill and better manage their work and care responsibilities.
- As finance, business, and politics grapple with the implications of longer workdays, community policy-makers should consider the general-news implications of the study's findings, focusing on the importance of a daily vocational training schedule within the proposed weekly maximum working hours to ensure worker well-being, combat burnout, and promote a more equitable distribution of care work, ultimately enhancing quality of life for workers and their families.
