The (Working) Time Is Ripe – On the Need to Reform German Working Hours Act

The increasingly networked and digitalised working world and the growing desire for a better work-life balance have given rise to a debate over the extent to which the German Working Hours Act is still up-to-date and relevant. Both employers and representatives of employees are demanding greater flexibility in defining working hours from opposite ends of the scale - with proposals ranging from extending daily working hours to enabling employees to determine their weekly working hours. German companies have assessed the proposals pragmatically and seem prepared for imminent change, according to the results of the Randstad-ifo Personnel Managers Survey.