On 18 October, members of the German Bundestag adopted a bill that will provide the right to part-time work on a temporary basis (Brückenteilzeit), despite strong criticism from employers. While workers are currently entitled to request a permanent transition to part-time hours, from 1 January 2019, employees of firms with more than 45 workers will be able to request a move to part-time working hours for a period of between one and five years, without needing to give a particular reason, following which they return to full-time work. Individuals that are already working part-time hours and want a return to full-time work will also see their rights supplemented.
Burden of proof falls on employers.The bill was drawn up by Hubertus Heil, Germany’s employment minister, from the SPD party, and modifies the existing “law on part-time work and fixed term contracts” (Teilzeit- und Befristungsgesetz – TzBfG) (see article n°10723). Among its objectives is avoiding the so-called “trap” of part-time work, which can be a cause of poverty in old age, and giving workers more independence as regards working hours, so they can achieve a better work-life balance.
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