Germany's fight over "lifestyle" part-time work

""With a four-day week and an exaggerated work-life balance, prosperity cannot be maintained,""

""not people who need to reduce their hours to take care of children, or sick relatives, or pursue education. It's about people who just want more free time,""

""Taxpayers should not be financing the work-life balance of people receiving social benefits,""

""I have been practicing labor law for 24 years," Hahn told DW. "Regarding part-time work law mostly on behalf of employees, but some employers as well. I have never had a case involving someone who"

Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that a four-day week and an exaggerated work-life balance cannot maintain prosperity and criticized frequent sick leave and a lack of work ethic. The Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) labeled some part-time employment "lifestyle part-time" and called for reforms to Germany's labor laws. MIT spokeswoman Juliane Berndt distinguished such cases from those reducing hours for caregiving or education and argued taxpayers should not fund the work-life balance of social-benefit recipients. DeStatis data show a long-term increase in part-time work and that in 2022, 27% of part-time workers cited a desire to work part-time. Dr. Claudia Hahn said many employees do not tell employers why they request part-time work.

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