Politicians and the economy demand more work from the Germans. However, Norway shows that there is another way. Here, leisure time is highly valued. But there is a crucial difference between Germany and Norway, and that is the way in which pensions are financed.
The Germans are supposed to work more, as is increasingly stated. Out of part-time and into full-time. This is often demanded by politicians from the federal government or the economy, reports, for example, Tagesschau. In fact, most employees in Germany already work too much.
While the Germans are told to do more and be more diligent, Norway shows that it can be done differently. Here, all employees not only finish work on time but also work overall less than in Germany. In Nordic countries like Norway and also Sweden, “Fritid,” or leisure time, holds a particularly high value.
Norwegians work less in total, but are still more productive
What does it look like in Norway, specifically? Officially, Norway has not implemented a 4-day workweek; however, the regular workweek is significantly shorter here. According to 4dayweek.io, the working time is about 34 hours per week. Interestingly, working hours are even decreasing: in 2011, the average was still 34.3 hours per week, but by 2021, it had dropped to just 33.7.
A striking feature is the early end of the working day, which in many companies starts at 3:30 PM. For this, many people in Norway also start work between 8:00 and 8:30.
The early end of the working day at 3:30 PM has significant effects on employee productivity. Many studies, such as the study from the employee-friendly Hans Böckler Foundation, demonstrate that shorter working hours do not necessarily lead to a decrease in productivity but rather a boost in productivity.
Norway finances its pension system with its oil wealth that Germany does not have
There is another important difference why Norway can afford a more flexible work system: it is the way pensions are financed in Norway.
Aside from a mandatory company pension, Norway relies primarily on its vast oil wealth: the high revenues from Norwegian oil and gas extraction flow largely into the state pension fund, which in turn subsidizes pensions.
In Germany, there is neither a mandatory company pension nor high revenues from oil that could contribute to pensions (via MDR.de). The common argument in many minds is: if people work more, then more contributions will be paid into the pension fund, which would stabilize pension contributions. If people worked longer, argues, for example, the Deutsche Bundesbank, pensions could be financed better.
The federal government wants the German population to work more. But most are already working too much. A report by the Federal Statistical Office shows this. At least: compared to the previous year, overtime has slightly decreased, but it is still high: Merz demands more work from the Germans, but one in five in Germany already works too much overtime
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