Working hours
77 percent would work more – but only under these conditions
Because of lazy, Mr. Merz: A survey shows that many employees would extend their working hours. But the government would have to do something for that.
The working morality of the Germans has recently been discredited. “With a four-day week and work-life balance, we will not be able to maintain the prosperity of this country,” complained Chancellor Friedrich Merz-and thus assumed a certain penchant for laziness to his citizens. Surveys that support this finding can be easily found. If you ask people whether they would like less work and more free time, of course many say yes.
But you can also ask that the opposite comes out, as the employer -related institute of the German economy (IW) proves. According to the IW survey, astonishing 77 percent of the employees can imagine an expansion of their working hours-even those that work full-time. At least 5000 full-time and part-time employees were interviewed. According to IW, the survey is representative of social security and minor employees.
More working time – if more net gets stuck
However, and that is the bad news for the Chancellor: the willingness to work is not based solely on patriotic sense of duty, but is linked to solid conditions. In addition to the corresponding wage compensation, the respondents primarily demand that more net of gross in their own wallet. 72 percent of those surveyed cite lower taxes and social security contributions as an essential prerequisite for expanding their working hours.
This applies not only to mini -jobbers who would even be subject to social security when expanding their working hours. Of the full -time employees surveyed, 74 percent stated that they were enthusiastic about even more work for lower taxes and social security contributions.
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The ball was in turn with the work-life balance meander Merz and its government. Because the social security contributions for pension, health insurance and care will increase even more drastically in the coming years if politics do not resolve. And the money is also missing for real tax cuts, because a few tax -free overtime, as the government is planning, do not help much.
Politics and employers in duty
According to the IW survey, employers could also do something to motivate people to work more. 57 percent would be available for more work if they could work more in the home office or mobile. 55 percent could work more if they are allowed to divide working hours more flexibly. And 47 percent would do this if they would get more interesting tasks or more responsibility.
Other points that would promote overtime would be better childcare (39 percent), better working atmosphere (36 percent) and “if my partner adopted more in the budget” (35 percent). Multiple answers were possible, as it makes clear how to compensate for the percentage of percentages. For many respondents, several of these conditions would have to be met so that they work more.
The willingness to work more under suitable signs is particularly high for the younger ones. Otherwise, however, it is “largely independent of gender, the industry, the question of whether it is an office work, or professional qualifications,” write the IW experts Holger Schäfer and Oliver Stettes.
In the extension of working hours, the economists see “one of the decisive measures for the compensation of the immediately upcoming demographic shrinkage”. Because unlike many other measures, it will be effective at short notice.
The additional work could not be prescribed politically, but the IW experts first see the government on the train. “Politicians are primarily in demand, because many prerequisites for a longer working time are determined by the legal framework.” A reduction in taxes makes overtime attractive because professional commitment to the individual is more worthwhile.
Source: Stern
