The Institute of German Economy (IW) has suggested that any extension of working hours should initially be limited to specific types of jobs. According to IW labor market expert Oliver Stettes, if the primary concern is workplace protection, the initial legal adjustments should be focused on employees who do not pose health risks, such as those working in offices.
Generally, the head of the IW’s Working Life and Collective Bargaining sector advocates for reforming the regulations concerning daily working hours. Stettes claims that increasing the flexibility of the maximum daily working time could assist both employees and businesses in better reconciling their personal desires and demands with operational requirements.
For context, Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) intends to present a proposal for labor law reform in June. Currently, the daily maximum working time is set at eight hours, which can be extended to ten hours in specific circumstances. The proposed changes could potentially allow for a maximum of 13 hours per day, provided that the weekly working limit of 40 hours is not exceeded.
