Worry about four-day weeks
Siemens warns against shortening working hours
May 6, 2024, 2:04 a.m
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In Germany, calls for a four-day week are becoming increasingly louder. There is criticism of this from many politicians, such as Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, but also employers’ associations. The Siemens Group is also critical of the issue.
In view of the shortage of skilled workers, the Siemens Group is warning against a reduction in working hours and the four-day week. “From an economic perspective, we clearly cannot afford a discussion about shorter working hours,” said Judith Wiese, responsible for human resources on the Siemens board, to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. “For a country like Germany, which is aging so quickly and where there is a shortage of skilled workers, a debate about shorter working hours is of course quite sensitive.”
People in Germany already work around 500 hours less per year than in the USA. Rather, it’s about how people stay employable through lifelong learning and how even more people can be brought into work – “ideally full-time.” With around 320,000 employees, Siemens is one of the largest private employers in Germany.
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IG Metall, among others, is currently pushing hard for a four-day week. Wiese told the newspaper that Siemens already had the option of implementing a four-day week, but only a few people took advantage of it. “We don’t see a trend towards a four-day week at Siemens.” In Germany, 40 percent of Siemens employees are over 50 years old, and a quarter are in their mid-50s or older.
“Assuming we hire at the same level as in recent years, we will need around 20,000 new employees in Germany alone in the next ten years.” The group “definitely needs skilled workers from abroad”. After all, Siemens receives 4.2 million applications worldwide every year. Younger people also need to be addressed. Wiese warned against dismissing the entire Generation Z as work-shy. “I don’t experience that here.”