In 2018, there are currently more than 44 million people in employment in Germany. The vast majority of them work full-time or part-time. But what new ideas and regulations are there with regard to working hours?
Full-time employment is defined as working between 36 and 40 hours per week. The standard is to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, provided that no overtime is required. Germany ranks high in terms of overtime, with 1.7 billion hours worked in 2017.
However, too much work can have psychological and physical consequences. This fact has long been no secret. More than half of employees complain of back and joint pain. Exhaustion ranks second, followed by headaches in third place.
But what can be done about it? Is it possible to reduce working hours by 20 percent while keeping salaries the same? One study already suggests that around 18 million people in this country would like to work fewer hours.
This is precisely what a New Zealand company tested for two months. They introduced a four-day week. A team of researchers from Auckland University monitored the experiment. The only condition for employees was that they had to achieve their weekly work targets.
The result of this test was clear. Employees were more productive and happier than before. Stress levels also dropped significantly.
Admittedly, at first glance it seems paradoxical. A four-day week could conceal some problems. For example, personnel costs would rise because more employees would be needed. Nevertheless, researchers believe that savings are possible.
Another way to reduce the working hours of a full-time position is to introduce a six-hour day with full pay. After all, people can be just as productive in six hours as they are in eight. Studies have already shown that many people can only really concentrate on their work for a few hours a day.
Some companies have even tried a six-hour day. And with success. Their sales increased.
However, there is also a major disadvantage here in the form of higher personnel costs.
The second form of working time is part-time work. You can find out more in the next article .
About the author
After completing his studies in automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development, and marketing, and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.
He then moved to a world-renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing for Japan and South America as well as marketing strategy for North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consulting firm in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As managing director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.
His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally complements his areas of expertise, particularly in relation to human resources and management consulting. His dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers and the definition of areas of development for a successful career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz" (Aptitude Diagnostics in Practical Use).
At the same time, he focuses on establishing networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous development of systems and processes in HR consulting.
Over the past 20 years in HR consulting, he has developed several brands that continue to operate successfully on the market today.
