New IAB survey shows growing willingness, especially among younger employees

According to a new survey by the Institute for Employment Research (https://www.iab.de) (IAB), 73 percent of employees in Germany reject unlimited daily working hours. However, 34 percent would be willing to work more than ten hours a day on individual days. Financial incentives for overtime and for an expansion of part-time work are particularly appealing to younger employees, according to the survey.

Tax-free bonuses

The survey shows that incentives are the key factor. For example, 45 percent of full-time employees would be more willing to work more overtime than before if they received a tax-free bonus.

With the option of being paid for overtime with a tax-free bonus, younger full-time employees would be willing to work more overtime.

While around 60 percent of the youngest group (up to 30 years of age) are willing to increase their overtime in return for a tax-privileged bonus, only 37 percent of those over 60 are willing to do so. With the prospect of a one-off bonus, around 33 percent of part-time employees can imagine increasing their hours permanently, by an average of six hours per week.

Employers are in demand

Ten percent of full-time employees already often work more than ten hours on individual working days. So far, 14 percent of them have been able to work overtime and receive additional pay from their employer. According to the authors of the IAB study, 16 percent of part-time employees already want to increase their weekly working hours permanently under the current conditions.

‘It is not enough to provide tax incentives. Employers must also respond to the legal changes agreed in the coalition agreement once they come into force and offer overtime pay, as well as being prepared to find individual solutions with part-time employees for increasing working hours if they actually want to call on their employees to work more,’ summarises IAB researcher Jonas A. Weik.