Germany To Begin Four-Day Work Week From February 1
Germany, the largest economy in Europe, is about to start a four-day work week trial. The UK started the trial about a year ago, and since then, employee stress and burnout have decreased.
Germany To Begin a Four-Day Work Week From February 1, we will become the 22nd country to introduce a 4-day work week.
In the midst of a pandemic where most businesses are requesting that workers return to work full-time, Germany is prepared to test a four-day workweek beginning on February 1, 2024, and continuing for the next six months. According to sources, Germany is currently dealing with a slowing economy, a shortage of trained labour, and excessive prices. The goal of the study is to determine whether, as suggested by labor unions, a 4-day workweek would improve employee health, happiness, and productivity at such times.
Germany, the largest economy in Europe, is about to start a four-day work week trial. The UK started the trial about a year ago, and since then, employee stress and burnout have decreased.
Germany will launch the four-day work week experiment in February 2024, precisely as the nation is fighting a labor crisis and has barely recovered from a recession.
A four-day work week would be trialed for six months starting on February 1st, with 45 enterprises expected to take part. The non-profit 4-Day Week Global, with its headquarters in New Zealand, is spearheading the project.
Germans missed an average of 21.3 days of work in 2022, according to the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This resulted in a loss of 207 billion euros (or roughly INR 1,86,55,87,26,60,900). According to Bloomberg, disgruntled workers resulted in low participation at work, which cost the world economy €8.1 trillion in 2023.
Employees will work fewer hours per week for the same salary during the trial phase, but for it to be effective, 4-Day Week Global claims that their productivity must be the same or higher. In addition to being more productive, workers should take fewer sick days as a result of stress, illness, or burnout. Consequently, this could lessen the losses incurred by businesses and the world economy.
In the European Union (EU), Germany has a large percentage of part-time workers. Proponents of the four-day workweek think that this could help attract more untapped potential in this segment.
But according to a Bloomberg story, Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner has questioned the idea of a shortened workweek because he thinks it could jeopardize their economic growth.
However, according to 4-Day Week Global, these trials were effective in the past and were conducted in the US, Canada, the UK, and Portugal. Employees who took part in the 4-day workweek trials reported less burnout and improved physical and mental wellbeing. Businesses in Germany that are taking part in a 4-day workweek anticipate comparable outcomes.
A 4-day work week has been proposed and adopted in other nations before. The first nation in the EU to do so was Belgium in 2022; however, the overall number of working hours in a week remained the same for a 4-day work week. In the meantime, businesses in Japan are urged to implement a 4-day workweek so that employees may spend more time with their families, start families, and make purchases, all of which will help the country’s aging population and economy.
List Of Countries With 4-Day Work Week
1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Belgium
4. Canada
5. Denmark
6. France
7. Germany
8. Iceland
9. Ireland
10. Japan
11. Netherlands
12. New Zealand
13. Norway
14. Portugal
15. Scotland
16. South Africa
17. Spain
18. Switzerland
19. UK
20. USA
21. United Arab Emirates
Read more news like this on PeopleManager.co.in
Value our content… contribute towards our growth. Even a small contribution per month would be of great help to us. Since our establishment, we have been serving the industry through daily news and updates.
Our content is free for all, and we plan to keep it that way
Support the People Manager. Pay Here (All it takes is a minute)
- Withdraw PF from ATMs Starting 2025: Labour Ministry - December 12, 2024
- Oral Complaints Cannot Replace Written Complaints Under PoSH Act: Kerala High Court - December 12, 2024
- Bengaluru Woman Rejects Job Offer Due to CEO’s Behavior During Interview - December 10, 2024