The economy is stagnating and there is a lack of staff in many places. Unions are promoting the four-day week. This can work, but it takes a lot of will and organizational skills.
Andreas Schollmeier looks at incredulous faces: “The employees looked at each other and thought: ‘He can’t be serious now’.” But Schollmeier was serious about the four-day week in his tax office on the Lower Rhine. He is a big fan of this new working time model. It was important to him that his employees agreed with the change. The OK from the staff came quickly. Now, for about two years now, his company has only worked four days.
“We first reduced from 40 to 36 hours, and then from 36 to 32 hours a year later. And always with the same salary,” says Schollmeier. Working fewer days without earning less, but with more time for family and relaxation: many employees see this as a way out of everyday stress.
Companies and economists are skeptical
Some companies, for example Siemens, see it differently. The human resources manager there believes that a discussion about shorter working hours cannot be economically afforded. This is due to the rapidly aging society and the lack of skilled workers.
Holger Schäfer from the employer-oriented Institute of the German Economy in Cologne (IW) also believes that the nationwide four-day week is unrealistic: “We have to be clear that the more we work less, the less we have. “
If there are fewer goods and fewer services, less can be consumed and redistributed, for example for social purposes. “We are heading towards a decline in prosperity, which comes at a time when we are already having difficulty meeting labor demand for demographic reasons,” says Schäfer.
At Siemens, for example, a four-day week is already possible today. According to the HR manager, no trend towards this is being observed. Only very few employees take advantage of the offer. At Siemens, however, there is no full wage compensation.
A question of organization
Unlike in Schollmeier’s tax office. The model works, he says. But a lot had to change for that to happen. The first reduction in working hours was not even noticed, but motivation made up for it. “The employees said: ‘If I can have Friday off and finish my work by Thursday evening, then I’ll give it my all,'” says Schollmeier.
The next step was much more strenuous: “We had to significantly streamline the processes. We digitized and automated a lot.” And the time management of the employees was also an issue. It is a question of organization, says Schollmeier. “Not everyone comes at 10 a.m. and not everyone leaves at 6 p.m. This means the work is distributed accordingly.”
The structure has changed fundamentally. And they also got support and know-how from outside, for example a sleep researcher. This helped to combine the needs of the employees with the new working time model.
Pilot projects collect knowledge
There is already a shortage of workers in many sectors in Germany – such as nursing, kindergartens or crafts. A change is not feasible in many areas, says IW researcher Schäfer: “The four-day week is certainly not a model for everyone. There are many areas, many companies, many industries where the productivity increases that I would need are in order to achieve this Compensating for a reduction in working hours is not possible at all.”
About 45 companies from various industries in Germany are currently testing how and whether it can be done as part of a large pilot project. It is scientifically supported by the University of Münster. Similar experiments have already been carried out in other countries such as Great Britain, Spain and Iceland.
Those who favor shorter working hours predict less sick leave and higher productivity. Opponents expect high costs because, due to the shortage of skilled workers, there are no new staff to compensate for the lack of working hours.
Four-day weeks increase competition
Four-day fan Schollmeier is also aware that the model does not work for every company. But companies should concern themselves with this, because if others switch to the four-day week, it will also increase competition for skilled workers.
His specialists now have more time to care for their parents, do sports or do volunteer work. The four-day week can be a game-changer for some – but for that to happen, a lot of things have to change in the company.
Melanie Böff, HR, tagesschau, May 8, 2024 2:50 p.m