Press Release No. 10/2016 IG Metall Calls for a Statutory Right to Return from Part-Time to Full-Time Work

Frankfurt am Main – IG Metall has called on the federal government to consistently implement the provisions of the coalition agreement regarding the right of part-time employees to return to full-time work. “A legally enshrined right for part-time workers to return to full-time employment is crucial for those who wish to temporarily step away from their jobs for personal reasons,” said Christiane Benner, Second Chair of IG Metall, on Monday in Frankfurt. “It is still predominantly women who stay home to raise children or provide care, which leads to losses in pay and career advancement later in their professional lives. Equality in the workplace can only be achieved through a fair distribution of work between women and men.”

The desire for more flexibility to better balance work and life is also the finding of a study commissioned by IG Metall to mark International Women’s Day (March 8). According to the study, three-quarters of those surveyed support part-time options for parents as a way to promote women in the workforce. Effective measures to promote women in the workforce include family-friendly work schedules for mothers and fathers (83 percent) and the option to work from home part of the time (80 percent). “Mobile work can lead to greater control over one’s time. The digitization of the workplace offers many opportunities for this,” said Benner. “To make this work, we are advocating for reliable policies within companies.”

The survey revealed no significant changes in perceptions regarding pay and career prospects for women: 70 percent of respondents still reported that women are disadvantaged when it comes to filling leadership positions in business and in terms of pay. The perception that women are disadvantaged in their professional lives actually increases with age: While 36 percent of respondents under 30 recognize disadvantages for women, more than half of those over 45 (56 percent) criticize fundamental discrimination against women in the workplace. “Supposedly, we have a shortage of skilled workers, but I don’t see the red carpet being rolled out for women in production and office settings,” Benner criticized. “Advancement and leadership while working part-time are virtually unthinkable in German companies. We need a cultural shift. More must finally be done to improve work-life balance.”