6-hour day or 8-hour trap? The fight for healthy working hours!

In Germany, working hours are once again under discussion, particularly with regard to the effects of a possible 6-hour working day. How OM Online reported, the formula “working time divided by life time” for calculating the proportion of work in life is considered problematic. There is a lack of clarity about what counts as working hours, since in addition to professional working hours, household work, commuting, volunteer work, childcare and caring for relatives also have to be taken into account.

Germans worked a total of 61.3 billion hours in 2022, which experts consider to be insufficient. Some economists and politicians are calling for more working hours to increase productivity and suggesting making overtime more attractive and relaxing the 8-hour day. However, studies show that people can concentrate for a maximum of 6 hours per day. A continuous 8-hour day could only be healthy if there are sufficient breaks and varied activities. Too much work often leads to mental illness; According to the DAK health report from 2022, these accounted for 16% of all sick days, the highest proportion since the surveys began.

The 6-hour day in focus

The discussion about the 6-hour day is also being discussed by uni.de accompanied. In Germany, the 8-hour day is still the standard, but studies show that long working hours reduce productivity and are linked to health problems. The Left in Germany is pushing for the introduction of a 6-hour day, while in Sweden many companies are already testing this model. In particular, the Toyota factory in Gothenburg has successfully implemented the 6-hour day for 13 years without a decline in productivity.

In Swedish companies, employees report higher levels of motivation and increased enjoyment of work. Industrial psychology studies support the thesis that people can only work productively for 4 to 5 hours. Nevertheless, the implementation of the 6-hour day is not profitable in all industries, as some companies, such as Sahlgrenska University Hospital, had to hire additional employees to realize the reduction in working hours. However, critics argue that the high costs of around 1 million euros per year speak against the introduction of the 6-hour day.

Daniel Bernmar from the Swedish Left highlights the need to improve working conditions for workers. Mental illnesses are considered the second most common cause of incapacity to work in Germany, while statistics document high rates of illness due to psychological problems. Men are on sick leave for an average of 180 days a year and women 300 days a year. In Germany, efforts to shorten working hours are being driven primarily by the Left and the Attac network, while trade unions reject these proposals due to their collective bargaining autonomy. In Sweden, however, the experiments with the 6-hour day are coming to an end due to rising costs.