"Greek six-day week already possible"
The FDP is strongly advocating for an end to the eight-hour workday for German employees in its current form. Researcher Enzo Weber on employment, however, has responded cautiously to the FDP's proposal to abolish the eight-hour workday in Germany. The Labor Code already allows employees to work up to ten hours a day, and they can work overtime for up to 60 hours a week, Weber told ntv. "Even the Greek six-day week would be possible in Germany," the researcher added.
While more flexibility in working hours is certainly meaningful, Weber said, it's important to increase productivity - for example, through self-determined working hours that employees can adjust throughout their working lives. "We won't increase our prosperity in the long term by working longer hours," he added. Many of the full-time employees, however, don't want that.
Therefore, the focus should be on "pulling more out of each hour," Weber said. This can be achieved through technology, but also when employees are satisfied with their working conditions and can develop well in their jobs. The length of the working day does not necessarily play the most important role. Instead, it's important that the job fits well into one's own life - "and not the other way around."
FDP deputy Lukas Köhler argued for a shift from a daily to a weekly maximum working time. "In order for the economic recovery to succeed, we must increase productivity and relieve people in their daily work routine," he said and described the "rigid eight-hour day" as an "outdated dogma." This no longer applies to the modern lifestyle and working world of many people. "Employers and employees can agree on flexibility within the framework of collective bargaining agreements."
The FDP's proposal to abolish the eight-hour workday in Germany has sparked discussions in the economy, with some arguing that increasing productivity through self-determined working hours could be more beneficial. Lukas Köhler, an FDP deputy, has proposed shifting from a daily to a weekly maximum working time, suggesting that this could aid in the economic recovery by increasing productivity and providing flexibility within collective bargaining agreements.
