Digging Deeper: Employees Voice Disapproval for Unlimited Hours, Support Flexible Policies
Most residents in the Community strongly oppose the concept of unlimited working hours.
Take a gander at the latest buzz in the employment sphere! A whopping 73% of German employees are slapping down the notion of unlimited work hours, according to a survey by the Institute for Employment Research of the Federal Employment Agency (IAB). But wait, there's more! Let's delve into the mind-boggling facts that keeps the debate on labor flexibility kicking!
Germany stands as a hub of part-time work within the EU, with a mind-boggling 29% of working-age individuals partaking in this arrangement. This robust statistic is derived from the European Labour Force Survey, published by the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden[1].Only the Netherlands and Austria hold a higher percentage of part-time employees.
So, what does this mean for Uncle Sam's plans to boost flexibility and wring the most from working hours? The grand coalition of Union and SPD is working on measures such as tax relief for overtime payments and incentives to pump up part-time employment. But, is the fine print fireproof?
Well, in the eyes of full-time employees, these flexibility measures might be just what the doctor ordered. An astounding 45% of these workers would jump ship and put in overtime hours if the government rewarded their efforts with a tax-exempt allowance. And guess who's the most eager to cash in on this deal? The youth! A jaw-dropping 60% of workers under 30 are ready to work extra hours due to the tax-friendly perk, compared to 37% of those over 60.
Taking a look at our part-time pals, around one-third of them could entertain the notion of ramping up their hours on a permanent basis – to the tune of six extra hours per week. Again, let's give a round of applause to the young'uns, as 48% of part-time employees under 30 would embrace this change, compared to a mere 24% of those over 60.
Jens Stegmaier, a researcher from the IAB, puts it succinctly, "Incentives to amp up part-time work are only effective if we're targeting specific demographics and dismantle structural barriers, such as access to childcare."
Roughly 3,800 socially insured employees aged 18 to 65 participated in the survey, which took place between April 12 and May 11, 2023[2].
References:
[1] European Labour Force Survey, Federal Statistical Office, Wiesbaden.[2] ntv.de, mbr/dpa.
Keywords:
- Employee attitudes
- Flexibility measures
- Working hours
- Federal Employment Agency (IAB)
- Part-time employment
- Tax relief
- Childcare
- Black-Red government (Union and SPD)
- The Community policy could include measures to promote workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness, such as encouraging vocational training programs that emphasize workplace-wellness and well-being, to address employees' concerns about unlimited work hours and support a more balanced work-life approach.
- As part of its efforts to boost flexibe policies, the government could consider investing in science and research to develop innovative solutions for vocational training that prepare employees for the demands of the modern workforce, while promoting health-and-wellness in the workplace.
- In addition to tax relief for overtime payments and incentives to increase part-time employment, the government could consider financial measures to fund vocational training programs that improve access to childcare services, particularly for lower-income families, in order to remove structural barriers and encourage more flexible work arrangements among parents.
