Germany is considering reducing the working week to four days

Searching to balance the need for manpower and maintaining competitiveness, Germany is considering a new system that includes a four-day work week.

This idea has been studied in other European countries and has become popular among some prominent companies.

This topic is being considered in Europe’s largest economy at a time when threats of economic recession are increasing, making employers wary, while others believe this crisis represents an opportunity for radical change.

In an AFP analysis of this experience, we find Maximilian Herrmann, who works for a company specializing in the installation of heat pumps and air conditioning systems, located in the Bavaria region near Augsburg.

In early January, Herman and his colleagues began committing to a four-day, 38-hour workweek instead of 40.

Employees at the company now work an additional hour and a half a day over four days to take a Friday off, while maintaining the same wages.

As part of annual wage negotiations in the steel industry, the powerful IG Metall union will demand the implementation of a four-day system, reducing weekly working hours from 35 hours to 32 hours while maintaining wages.

The Intraprenör company, which is organizing the work, will conduct the first large experiment of its kind in Germany in cooperation with 4 Day Week Global, which has carried out similar studies in several developed countries, including the United Kingdom.

Starting in 2024, 50 companies of different sizes and sectors will be forced to test reduced working hours for equal pay for six months to maintain productivity.

Intraprenör company says it has so far received 33 applications from companies interested in trying this system.

There is a clear increase in the number of companies planning to adopt this principle.

FidelCity UG in the same region also offers a four-day work week to attract qualified employees.

Along with achieving a better work-life balance and increasing productivity, it will enable the introduction of greater employment opportunities in Germany and the end of one of the highest rates of part-time employment in Europe.

According to a study conducted by the Hans Böckle Foundation, 81 percent of full-time German workers want to work four days a week.

However, some people are concerned about the positions of business leaders and economists who believe that reducing working hours by 20% could lead to catastrophic economic results.

Experts point out that although it is possible to reduce non-productive activities and increase efficiency in office activities, all possibilities for increasing productivity or efficiency have already been exhausted in this sector.