In an effort to revive the economy, several German companies have started a four-day working week trial, enabling workers to enjoy a three-day long weekend while still earning the same income.
According to unions, working less would make staff more productive, healthier and happier and potentially attract new staff, as the country is dealing with a skilled labour shortage.
Bloomberg previously reported that working four days a week can improve work attendance, as it is expected to reduce absences due to stress, illness and burnout.
This would help Germany, considered to be the ‘sick man of Europe’ since workers missed 21.3 work days in 2022, on average. Data from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health show that during this period, the country lost €207 billion in value-added, as the Daily Mail reports.
By 2035, more than seven million people will not be part of the German workforce, and these will not be able to be substituted as birthrates and immigration do not fill the gaps.
The managing director of Eurolam, a window-making company, said that his company decided to hop on this ‘train of change’; otherwise, there would not be anyone left to work for them.
However, economist Enzo Weber says that the country has not invested enough in innovation and digitisation that even a four-day week will not address the issue of productivity.
Another economist, Martin Ademmer, is also sceptical about whether a potential increase in productivity could make up for the hours employees are not working.
A similar trial in the UK resulted in 65 per cent fewer sick days, while a study in Portugal revealed that workers reported 20 per cent less anxiety and sleeping problems after they started four-day working weeks.
In addition to Germany, there are several countries in the EU that have already started applying the four-day work week. Among those countries are Belgium and Iceland, and as surveys reveal, workers in these two countries have reported positive outcomes from the reduced work.
Recently, the country has been dealing with ongoing strikes, protests, and immigration concerns during ‘Germany’s winter of discontent’, which have generated indecision, in-fighting, and finger-pointing.
Expat David Young in Dusseldorf reflects the general frustration, stating that the chaos caused by tractor blockades garnered some sympathy for farmers, but very few people supported the rail strikes. According to Young, rail workers have favourable conditions, including the ability to retire at 63 instead of 67, making their demands seem unreasonable to many.
