Frankfurt am Main – More money or more time? 190,000 employees in the metal and electrical industries who care for children, provide care for family members, or work shifts would prefer to take eight additional days off next year rather than receive more pay. This is shown by preliminary results of a recent survey conducted by IG Metall among works councils at 1,400 companies in the industry. This option is made available to them under the collective bargaining agreement reached in February 2018. “We’re pleased that the new collective bargaining provision has been so well received by employees. Clearly, the new opportunities for self-determination regarding working hours meet the specific needs of employees. We’ve really struck a chord,” said Jörg Hofmann, President of IG Metall, on Monday in Frankfurt.
The following trends have emerged from the survey so far: 40,000 applicants want to use the new provision to have more time for their children. Additionally, 10,000 employees who care for family members are seeking relief through the eight additional days off.
Less Work – More Life
The collective bargaining agreements also established the right for all employees to temporarily reduce their weekly working hours to up to 28 hours. According to the survey results so far, around 8,000 employees plan to take advantage of this “shortened full-time” option next year. “For those who need to balance work and family obligations, we have created an attractive option with the new collective bargaining provisions. Reduced full-time work is also a suitable way for many employees to achieve a better work-life balance—despite the lack of compensatory pay. What’s important is that they have the assurance that they can return to full-time work later,” Hofmann noted.
Most requests to convert pay into time off were submitted by 140,000 shift workers. “We’re not surprised by the high level of interest among shift workers in additional days off. Especially in sectors with rigid shift systems, the strain caused by overtime and special shifts has increased significantly in recent years. Our colleagues urgently need more free time—also to maintain their health,” Hofmann emphasized.
Flexibility on Both Sides
The chairman of IG Metall pointed out that there are numerous ways for companies to compensate for the lost working hours—for example, through the use of working time accounts, training, and employee development. This requires a forward-looking human resources policy. Jörg Hofmann: “Any company that wants to be an attractive employer for skilled workers must offer work schedules that fit into people’s lives—just as we agreed in the collective bargaining agreement.”
Flexibility must no longer be a one-way street, Hofmann emphasized. “When orders come in, companies are as flexible as they want to be. That must also apply when employees ask for more time off.” He urged employers to carefully consider how they intend to address their employees’ needs. “Anyone who rejects employees’ requests for more time off today cannot expect their colleagues to show up for a special shift tomorrow.” According to the collective bargaining agreement, employers are obligated to work with the works councils to find solutions for practical implementation by the end of the year.
Note to editors:
The regional collective bargaining agreements for the metal and electrical industries from February 2018 stipulate that employees who are raising children, caring for relatives, or have worked shifts for many years have the option to convert a portion of the new collective bargaining bonus (T-Zug)—amounting to 27.5 percent of a month’s pay—into eight days off, effective January 1, 2019. Applications for the additional days off for 2019 had to be submitted to the employer by October 31, 2018.
The collective bargaining agreement also guarantees all employees the right to reduce their working hours to up to 28 hours per week for up to 24 months. After that, they have the right to return to their original working hours. Employees can apply for the reduced full-time schedule at the beginning of each quarter, with six months’ notice.
Brochure: “I’m Taking This Time!” (PDF)
Infographic: “Option to choose eight days off” (PNG)
Photo: “Press Conference, November 12, 2018” (from left to right: Michael Eilers, Silke Ernst, Stefan Schaumburg, Nektaria Christidou / Photographer: Frank Rumpenhorst) (JPG)
