Spahn advocates for the abolition of the eight-hour workday.
Many folks dream about having a shorter workweek, like four days. CDU politician Spahn pushes for scraping the eight-hour workday to give staffers more freedom in scheduling. The FDP shares this view, considering the daily eight-hour limit as an obsolete artifact from worries about exploitation in the past.
Spahn, a member of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, urged a revamp of the Work Hours Act and the termination of the eight-hour daily work cap. "The Work Hours Act is outdated, causing problems for both employers and employees," Spahn stated to the editorial network Germany (RND). "We need modern regulations that balance employee protection with high flexibility," he added. "Employees should have the power to decide how long they work daily."
Spahn also shared his personal experience of exceeding the eight-hour daily limit during waitering gigs at weddings. The regulations often don't work in practice, especially when working from home. "More flexibility would help in harmonizing family life and work life," Spahn stated.
As per the Work Hours Act, employee's daily work time may not surpass eight hours. It can be stretched up to ten hours. However, only if the average daily working time doesn't exceed eight hours within six months or 24 weeks.
FDP: Flexible working time enables a four-day week
Likewise, the FDP advocates for abandoning the traditional eight-hour shift. FDP parliamentary group leader Lukas Köhler recently stated that the eight-hour day is a "fossilized doctrine derived from a time when the fear of exploitation was immense." However, times have changed. "The Work Hours Act originated during an era where telecommuting was unheard of. Few adhere to the eight-hour doctrine in their regular work routine anymore."
The FDP opposes the SPD's proposition of introducing a four-day week with complete wage compensation within the traffic light coalition. A flexible Work Hours Act, according to Köhler, would make a four-day workweek possible. He told RND in May that "a four-day week could be practical in many companies with the eight-hour limit abolished." Yet, reducing the weekly work hours might not be the ideal solution in the present labor shortage scenario.
Spahn, aligning with the FDP's stance, argued that the eight-hour daily work cap should be abolished to promote a more flexible work environment. "The FDP believes that flexible working hours could enable a four-day week," Köhler, the FDP parliamentary group leader, explained.
