Germany Launches Major Pilot to Test 4-Day Workweek Amid Economic Concerns
• Germany is launching a 6-month, 4-day workweek pilot program involving hundreds of employees across 45 companies to assess productivity and wellbeing benefits.
• The timing is tricky as Germany faces economic pressures and needs policies to incentivize longer work hours amidst labor shortages.
• 73% of Germans support a 4-day week, but the country already works fewer hours than the OECD average annually.
• The finance minister and some economists argue Germany needs people to work more, not fewer hours to address economic and demographic challenges.
• Companies in the pilot hope for burnout, retention and efficiency improvements but the sample size makes it hard to draw broad conclusions.