Over 1 million overtime hours in the Vogelsberg district – unfair and unpaid!

Over 1 million overtime hours in the Vogelsberg district – unfair and unpaid!

The Vogelsberg district was confronted with a massive overtime problem last year. Around 1.1 million overtime hours were worked, with more than half, around 563,000, remaining without any pay. These alarming figures come from the Pestel Institute's “Working Time Monitor”, which was created on behalf of the Food, Pleasure and Restaurants union (NGG). Particularly in the catering industry, where around 18,000 overtime hours were worked, the unpaid rate was high at 53 percent. This development is not without a certain explosiveness, as the NGG warns of the negative consequences that a planned reform of the Federal Government's Working Hours Act could have. The new rules could weaken the 8-hour day and allow companies to require up to 73.5 hours per week, which would significantly change the world of work.

As oberhessen-live.de reports, NGG managing director Guido Noll suggests that such a legal situation not only threatens the health of employees, but also makes it more difficult to combine work and family. What is particularly striking is the fact that 68 percent of part-time employees in the Vogelsberg district are currently women, which further increases the challenge of compatibility. Noll is therefore not only calling for a move away from increasing working hours, but also for an improvement in working conditions and systematic qualification of employees.

The effects of the working time reform

The debate about the reform of the Working Hours Act, which provides for a change in the maximum weekly working time of 48 hours instead of the daily 8 hours, raises many questions. The aim of these changes is to create more flexibility for employers and employees. But experts are alarmed about the associated health risks. Longer working hours could not only increase the risk of accidents at work, but also lead to health problems, which supports the argument of the unions, especially the NGG. Relevant studies show that many employees, including those affected in the Vogelsberg district, do not want a longer working day and instead demand more time for family, hobbies and volunteer work.

As the Hans Böckler Foundation found in a recent study, the alarm bells are ringing because long working hours are already a serious problem in geriatric and nursing care and endanger the quality of patient care. Given these circumstances, the question arises as to whether the proposed changes actually meet the needs of employees. Many employees report increased stress levels and a lack of time for political engagement and personal areas of life.

Conclusion and outlook

Overall, it can be seen that the overtime problem and the debate about reforming the Working Hours Act pose major challenges for employees in the Vogelsberg district. The necessary balance between work time and leisure time remains on the table, and it remains to be seen how policymakers will respond to workers' concerns and demands. A rethinking of working time arrangements that focuses not only on flexibility but also on health and quality of life appears to be urgently necessary.