Andrea Nahles, Germany’s minister for labour and social affairs, has drawn up a bill to supplement the country’s existing law “on temporary and part-time work” (Teilzeit- und Befristungsgesetz) which will give German workers the right to take up part-time roles for limited periods only. Until now, the law allowed employees to adjust their working hours and work part-time for an unlimited period. Ms Nahles has called for the change on a number of occasions and the bill, which is in keeping with the coalition agreement signed by the conservative and social democratic parties in 2013, will allow employees to take up full-time work after a period in a part-time role. The bill has been vilified by employers but hailed by trade unions, and has been passed on to other ministries for assessment.
Facilitating the return to full-time work. Mr Nahles, from the SDP party, says the new bill is necessary because many employees, women especially, want to go back into full-time work after a period of part-time employment but are unable to do so. In future, workers will be able to trim down their working hours for a limited time and exercise a right to return to full-time employment once that period has elapsed, under certain conditions. This right will only apply to workers in companies...
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