Working hours: Is ‘life-life balance’ the problem?

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Working hours: Is ‘life-life balance’ the problem?

In the debate about the length of working hours in Germany, Carsten Linnemann from the CDU commented on the work-life balance. He sometimes had the feeling that it was more about a “life-life balance”.

Is there too little work in Germany? This assumption could arise if you look at the latest statistics from the German Institute for Economic Research (IW). According to these, the average number of working hours in Germany was 1,036 – far behind countries such as Greece (1,172) and Poland (1,304).

In his first government statement, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) called on people to work more. CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann has now reiterated this call in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). He said that a work-life balance was nothing reprehensible. However, he said that one sometimes gets the impression that it is no longer about work-life balance, but rather about life-life balance. Germany’s prosperity, social security systems and the country’s ability to function are based on productivity. This must be strengthened.

Linnemann referred to incentives planned by the federal government, such as the active pension or making weekly working hours more flexible. The latter would be particularly helpful for children with families or relatives in need of care. It is important for young people to first complete an apprenticeship and learn a trade.

The discussion about working hours and work-life balance is complex. One reason for the low working hours in Germany compared to other countries is the high proportion of part-time employees, which is almost a third. There are many reasons for this. There is often a lack of childcare facilities or support for caring for family members.

Another problem is that many people retire early even though they would like to work longer. There is a lack of support and incentives here. In addition, bureaucratic regulations often prevent people from working for the same employer beyond retirement age.