Overview

• IG Metall has removed a full-pay four-day workweek from its current demands list, attributing the decision to strained conditions in many companies.
• The Merz-led coalition intends to replace the daily eight-hour cap with a maximum weekly working time under its forthcoming labor law reforms.
• An Institute of the German Economy study found that 94 percent of surveyed firms believe a four-day week at full pay would hurt productivity and value added.
• Pilot schemes, such as a Munich clinic’s trial of four-day schedules with 12-hour shifts, report higher employee satisfaction and stronger recruitment.
• A recent INSA poll indicates 63 percent of Germans would accept an extra hour per week in exchange for retiring one year earlier.