New working time model: 4-day week without loss of wages? Initiative presents study

More than 40 German companies and organizations have experienced a four-day week in which employees are paid as if they were in a full-time job, despite reduced working hours. The global initiative “4 Day Week” and the German management consultancy Intraprenör are behind this pilot project, which began in February and was scheduled to last six months. The scientific evaluation is managed by the University of Münster. Results of the study will be presented this afternoon in Düsseldorf.

According to an interim report from July, employees at some of the organizations involved became more involved in identifying potential for improvement and coming up with creative ideas for more efficient work. Reducing the number of internal meetings and thereby saving time was seen as a sensible measure.

Not all companies participating in the study rely on the so-called 100-80-100 model, i.e. 100 percent pay with 80 percent working hours and 100 percent productivity. In fact, almost half of the participants only reduced their working hours by up to ten percent. For example, they only had half a working day off per week. Larger companies in the project only take part in some areas and not completely.

Limited significance of the study

A similar study in Great Britain produced positive findings last year, and the concept has already been tested in the USA and South Africa. However, the research is limited and not representative of the economy. The participants in Germany come from very different industries, two thirds of them are companies and organizations with fewer than 50 employees.

Proponents of the four-day week argue that employees would have less stress and would therefore be happier and more productive. Family and career could be better balanced. In the fight against the shortage of skilled workers, companies could also have an advantage if they receive more applications as a result.

Critics, however, say that a four-day week would lead to a significant increase in wages that most companies could not afford – especially not in the current difficult economic situation. In addition, there are fewer and fewer workers due to demographic change – a four-day week would exacerbate this worsening shortage of working hours overall.

Views of politics

The SPD member of the Bundestag and left-wing party member Sebastian Roloff says there are professions and industries in which a four-day week could make sense. The concept could possibly also help to bring some part-time employees closer to full-time and thus better exploit the workforce potential. At the same time, especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers in an economic crisis, there cannot be a uniform political solution across the board that would be implemented well for everyone, says Roloff.

However, the issue leaves liberals shaking their heads. Employers and employees can of course agree what they want, says FDP member of the Bundestag Reinhard Houben. But: “Simply working less does not lead to overcoming a crisis.” The same level of prosperity while reducing working hours only works through an increase in productivity. “This has not been successful in Germany in recent years – so far no economic stagnation has been overcome through less work.”

Union warns against “deceptive packaging”

The German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) is rather cautious about the issue. Board member Anja Piel says that it must first be clarified what exactly is meant by a four-day week. “If you only work four days with full wage compensation and the workload does not increase, this can ideally lead to greater job satisfaction and higher productivity.”

However, they warn that it could become a “sham” if the same workload were spread over fewer days and the employees would be even more caught up in the hamster wheel of everyday work than before.

Employers are in favor of more flexible working hours

The general manager of the employers’ association BDA, Steffen Kampeter, is skeptical about the issue. “In an international comparison, we Germans already work the least over the year.” Instead of talking about working less, we should talk about making working hours more flexible and distributing the hours in a week more flexibly. “Wherever it suits, working more Monday to Thursday and taking Friday off – that should be possible if employees and employers agree on it.”

© dpa-infocom, dpa:241018-930-263557/1