One billion hours of unpaid overtime last year—why are workers giving away their working time?
Jörg Hofmann: Working time is not a worthless commodity. It has value—and not just for employers. We want to have a say in how it’s used. These are the demands of our working time campaign, “My Life – My Time.” Tracking and compensation are the foundation for all the goals we’ve agreed upon in the campaign: more autonomy, more predictability, and more self-determination. Why hasn’t this worked so far? Because we haven’t made it a priority and have let the world of work, with all its old and new demands, run its course for too long. The result? Wasted time, extreme stress, high demands for flexibility, and an extreme intensification of work. We’ve been spectators for too long; now we’re getting involved: in the workplace, in collective bargaining, and also by making demands on lawmakers.
Collective bargaining agreements, laws, and company agreements—isn’t working time already sufficiently regulated?
Yes, but these are often regulations that were established decades ago. A lot has changed in the meantime: “Dad is mine on Saturdays” is no longer the norm everywhere. Short-term flexibility is the order of the day, rather than rigid shift systems. Many regulations are no longer in step with the times. They do not provide the protection and the framework that employees need in today’s working world.
Why is that?
We also need to take a self-critical look at our own actions. When it came to flexibility, we were too often on the defensive. We wanted to prevent the worst from happening. That’s important, but it’s not enough. The challenge is: How can we shape working time realities that are more self-determined and co-determined, rather than dictated by others? That’s why the goal now must be to move beyond a defensive stance.
What would such a system look like?
Self-determined working hours don’t mean the same thing to everyone. One person might want to manage their working hours flexibly throughout the day. Another might want to work a lot for a while and take longer breaks in return. A third might want reliable working hours in the long term.
How can a company agreement reconcile all of this?
Not by the works council saying, “I know what’s best for everyone.” We must involve employees in developing common rules. We will continue to need collectively enforced rules in the future. Protection and flexibility—both are important. One solution is to offer more options that are collectively agreed upon. But: Reconciling differing interests regarding working hours requires that the entire team embrace and support them. That’s why it will only work if everyone—including supervisors—is involved from the very beginning through to the final agreement. It’s always also about a cultural shift within the company, and we can’t mandate that through a works agreement or collective bargaining agreement. It requires participation, participation, and more participation.
Doesn’t flexibility have its limits, for example in shift work?
No, I don’t see it that way. Flexibility has long existed here when it comes to extending shifts to eight or nine hours or scheduling them on weekends. Why shouldn’t this also work in the other direction? Why shouldn’t colleagues have the option of not working until 10 p.m. on the late shift once a week because otherwise they won’t be able to play in Sunday’s game? Yes, shift work is more restrictive. But even here, there are successful examples of more self-determined work schedules.
What do employers think of self-determined work schedules?
For them, working hours are still an area where they retain maximum decision-making authority. Their motto is: “Your life—my time.” They want to decide what they grant to whom. They want maximum flexibility for their own interests, but are increasingly faced with the problem that they can only attract people if they offer them more freedom to shape their own schedules. This leads to pseudo-solutions like trust-based working hours.
How does IG Metall intend to challenge this decision-making authority?
With our campaign on working time policy, we’re focusing on the issues of part-time work for education, shift work, mobile work, and the erosion of working hours. It’s about having choices regarding working hours that make it easier to balance work with childcare, caregiving, and continuing education. If we succeed in implementing at least one of these measures in many companies, that will create the best conditions for achieving progress through collective bargaining.
What is the goal of the campaign?
We won’t be able to answer all questions about working hours overnight. The issue has too many facets for that. But there can be no “good work” if working-hour regulations do not help make work safer, fairer, and more self-determined. It’s time to act instead of lamenting. We can do this. Shaping working hours is as old as the labor union itself, and it will continue to be a key issue for us in the future.
