Scope for more flexible daily working hours and shorter rest periods

This would mean that a weekly and no daily maximum of working hours is supposed to apply. The planned change of maximum working hours should not, however, be confused with an extension of weekly working hours. The hours of work are still settled in individual employment contracts or collective agreements. Instead, the announced amendment is expected to raise the flexibility when during a day contracted working hours are performed. While a shift towards more flexible working hours has already been taking place in practice for some time, the previous two governments had been reluctant to amend the ruling Working Hours Act though they had expressed their ambition to do so in their coalition agreements.

The empirical study is based on data from the 2017, 2019 and 2021 working time surveys conducted by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It shows that working time arrangements of office workers could become more flexible in terms of rest periods and maximum daily working hours without jeopardising health and safety at work. Only a small minority of employees reported that they had shorter rest periods and working days potentially exceeding the maximum of 10 hours per day stipulated by the ruling Working Time Act. The bulk of employees (e.g. 86% in 2021) reported that they were absent from work for at least eleven hours before starting a new working day. A daily working time of approximately more than ten hours affected less than 7% of office workers in 2021. In addition, data do not indicate that shorter rest periods have become more prevalent. The same applies to very long working days.  

The econometric analysis suggests that shortened rest periods significantly correlate to accessibility expectations, tight deadlines or strict performance targets. Furthermore, they are more likely when workers perform unpaid care work and interrupt work during the regular work schedule due to private matters and resume work in the evening. Employees with very long daily working hours more frequently have a varying number of daily working hours as well as a varying number of working days per week.

Cross-sectional empirical evidence reveals that office workers with very long daily working hours do not differ in their work experiences (e.g. job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion or ability to work) compared to those with shorter working days. This also applies to shorter rest periods if the affected workers interrupt their activities for private reasons during the regular daily schedule and resume work in the evening. Furthermore, the longitudinal analysis points out that there is no significant impact for office workers who extended working hours or shorten their rest period on health or days of sick leave per year.

Empirical evidence, however, also suggests that work culture, especially with respect to the job requirement of being available for professional issues in private life, plays an important role for workers experiences. Thus, managers are accountable that affected workers do not feel forced to being permanently available. But employees are also required to responsibly manage the increased working time autonomy with respect to both their own health and well-being as well as that of their teammates.