Plea for more work
BMW boss Zipse railed against a four-day week
09/01/2023, 11:55 am
A comprehensive pilot project to introduce the four-day week will start in Germany next year. 50 companies from various sectors are taking part. BMW boss Zipse thinks little of such ideas. Rather, he calls for a rethink when it comes to overtime work.
BMW boss Oliver Zipse calls for a change in employment policy in view of the lack of skilled workers. “We have to create attractive incentives for overtime. It shouldn’t be the case that taxes increase with every hour of overtime – instead, there have to be fewer taxes and duties,” Zipse told the “Handelsblatt”.
For the BMW boss, the decline in skilled workers is now one of the biggest growth risks for Germany. “We need an answer to the changed demographics. The baby boomers are now retiring in such large numbers that it cannot be compensated for by targeted immigration of skilled workers alone,” Zipse continued.
He rejects the discussion about reducing working hours. “Do we really want to discuss reducing working hours in the current situation? The debate about a four-day week is an irritating signal when we actually have to fight the shortage of skilled workers,” said the BMW boss.
A comprehensive pilot project to introduce a four-day week will start in Germany at the beginning of 2024. The editorial network Germany (RND) reported on Wednesday, citing the consulting agency Intraprenör, which coordinates the project in Germany. 50 companies from various sectors from all over Germany will therefore test the working time model from February 1st: For six months they will reduce working hours from five to four days with the same salary.
This was followed by a scientific evaluation by the University of Münster, as the RND further reported. The pilot study will be accompanied by the 4 Day Week Global initiative. Accordingly, representatives of the IG Metall trade union, the employers’ association BDA and the Central Association of German Crafts sit on the advisory board.