Three-Quarters of German Workers Fear for Work-Life Balance as Government Plans Flexible Hours Overhaul

An overwhelming majority of German employees see trouble ahead if the government scraps the legally mandated eight-hour workday. In a survey by the Economic and Social Science Institute (WSI), three out of four respondents said they expect their work-life balance to suffer once the daily maximum disappears.

The finding comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition prepares to dismantle a cornerstone of German labour law. Instead of capping daily hours at eight, the government wants to introduce a weekly maximum – a shift that critics argue could open the door to shifts lasting 13 hours or more.

Yasmin Fahimi, chair of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB), has called the plan a “purely ideologically motivated wrong path” and ruled out any room for negotiation. She attacked the reform as a “dangerous gamble” that would not deliver the economic benefits its backers promise. In early June, she warned that the government’s broader austerity agenda risked weakening domestic demand.

Labour Minister Bärbel Bas plans to present a concrete bill before the end of June, with the key points to be adopted before parliament’s summer break in mid-July. She stressed that the reform is a coalition compromise and that no worker would be forced to extend their hours against their will. To sweeten the deal, Bas held out tax relief of at least €500 per year for small and middle incomes and pointed to the 1.2 billion overtime hours already accumulated by employees across Germany.

Health and safety researchers, however, are sounding the alarm. The Hans Böckler Foundation warns that a pure weekly limit could, in practice, produce workdays exceeding 12 hours. Accident risk climbs significantly after the eighth hour, the foundation notes, citing occupational safety data.

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A separate legislative track is adding to the confusion. A draft “Labour Market Strengthening Act” drawn up in September 2025 would make overtime surcharges tax-free – but only for work beyond the collectively agreed full-time threshold. The exemption would apply to bonuses of up to 25% of base pay and was originally scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2026. That law has not yet been passed. Critics point out that such a rule primarily benefits those already working full-time, leaving the nearly 30% of the German workforce in part-time roles with little to gain.

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