Most employees typically work five days a week with a contractual working time of about 40 hours. However, there is a growing number of employees, particularly working full-time, who would like to reduce their working hours. When considering the redistribution or reduction of working hours, long working days must be avoided and necessary organisational changes taken into account.
Working time preferences in Germany
In 2021 more than half of employees stated they would like to spend less time at work. On average, employees in Germany want to work approximately 34–35 hours a week. Men and women have different preferences in this respect. On average, men would like to work longer (approx. 37 hours a week), while women prefer shorter working times (approx. 31 hours a week). Almost half of all employees would like to spend fewer days at work. Both part-time and full-time employees often prefer working four-day weeks. In particular, employees who have long working times and lots of working days would prefer their working week to be shorter.
The discussion about the four-day week has been dominated by international pilot studies and projects, for example in Belgium, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. In Germany some companies are also experimenting with new working time reduction models like the four-day week. Most companies hope to be more attractive as employers, tackle shortages of skilled workers, and create healthier and more sustainable working conditions. First results from the pilot studies on the four-day week in the UK and Iceland have shown that shorter working weeks often have positive impacts on employees’ satisfaction.
Implementing working time reduction
The specific implementation and configuration of shorter working times are very important. The central question is whether employees’ actual weekly working time is reduced or just redistributed across the remaining working days.
While it is legally possible to work 40 hours in four days (Working Hours Act, Arbeitszeitgesetz, ArbZG), this is not recommended from an occupational safety and health perspective. Working time models of this kind result in longer working days of ten hours, which is two hours longer than the statutory standard of the eight-hour day. The mandatory rest breaks (45 minutes) and commuting times have to be added to the ten hours of working time. Overall, working ten-hour days leaves individuals with noticeably less time for recovery, family obligations, and leisure activities. Furthermore, such extended working hours considerably limit employees' flexibility options, particularly in flexitime systems. In addition, redistributing hours can concentrate work on the remaining working days, potentially increasing work intensity. A longer working day also raises the risks of occupational accidents and accidents during the commute to and from work.
Important considerations arise when the working week is shortened with a corresponding reduction in weekly working hours. The perspectives of both the organisation and its employees have to be taken into account. Beyond the question of whether employees should receive the same pay for shorter working hours or face a reduction in pay, the redesigning of work processes and tasks becomes a significant issue. The reorganization of working hours can only achieve sustainable positive effects on health and work-life balance if these aspects of work are redesigned. Introducing shorter working times without restructuring work tasks or recruiting more staff can increase the intensity of work because the same amount of work has to be performed in less time. Furthermore, employees should continue to have working time control and the new working time model should make it possible to reconcile private and work responsibilities.
Shorter working times: part-time work in Germany
Approximately a quarter of employees in Germany already work shorter hours because they are employed part-time. Part-time work is subcategorised into “short part-time” when individuals work less than 20 hours a week and “long part-time” or “near full-time part-time” when individuals work 20 to 35 hours a week. Almost 20 per cent work near full-time part-time, typically over four working days in the week. The majority of part-time employees in Germany are women.
Various reasons contribute to people working part-time. Family obligations such as childcare or caring for family members are the most frequently cited. However, other personal reasons, health limitations, or the desire to make time for further education and training also play a role. Nonetheless, some employees also work part-time involuntarily. When it comes to working time preferences, it is clear that part-time employees, in particular men, often wish to work longer hours.