Spahn advocates for the abolition of the eight-hour workday.
Many people aspire for a four-day workweek. CDU politician Spahn propositions the elimination of the eight-hour day to provide workers with more autonomy in scheduling. The FDP also views the fixed daily maximum working hours as an obsolete apprehension of exploitation.
CDU parliamentary vice-fraction leader Jens Spahn has suggested revamping the Working Hours Act and axing the daily maximum working time of eight hours. "The Working Hours Act is antiquated, it negatively affects both employers and employees," the CDU politician stated to the editorial network Germany (RND). "We need modern regulations that blend employee protection with high adaptability," Spahn continued. "Employees are best suited to decide their own length of work in a day."
Spahn further shared: "I myself often exceeded the daily maximum working time when I worked as a server at weddings." The rules aren't practical in numerous professions, particularly during periods of increased remote work. "More freedom would aid in better synthesizing family life and work life," the CDU politician added.
As per the Working Hours Act, an employee's daily working hours cannot surpass eight hours. However, it can be extended to a maximum of ten hours. However, this is only permissible if the average daily working hours do not exceed eight hours over a six-month or 24-week period.
FDP: Flexible working hours enable a four-day workweek
The FDP also advocates for abandoning the traditional eight-hour day. FDP parliamentary faction leader Lukas Köhler recently articulated that the eight-hour day is "an archaic dogma originating from a time when the fear of exploitation was rampant." However, times have evolved. "The Working Hours Act emanates from a world where there was no remote work. Few adhere to the eight-hour dogma in their daily work routine nowadays."
The FDP opposes the SPD's demands within the traffic light coalition to introduce a four-day week with full wage compensation. A flexible Working Hours Act would enable a four-day week, Köhler told RND in May. "A four-day week could certainly be implemented in numerous companies with the daily eight-hour limit abolished." However, if the weekly working time is to be reduced for this purpose, this approach is misguided in times of skills labor shortages.
Spahn's proposal to revise the Working Hours Act and eliminate the eight-hour daily maximum could potentially lead to a four-day week if employees are given the autonomy to decide their work duration. As per Lukas Köhler from the FDP, flexibly adjusting working hours through a revised act could enable a four-day workweek, offering a balance between employee protection and adaptability.
