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Germans unwilling to take pay cut to work less

Published: 13 Feb 13 07:05 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/money/20130213-47925.html

Just 23 percent of Germans would accept a pay cut in exchange for reducing their working hours, according to a survey released amid a new push for a 30-hour workweek in Germany.

For 73 percent of those asked by YouGov polling organisation for the website of Die Zeit weekly newspaper, working fewer hours for less pay was completely out of the question.

Among young people, this sentiment appeared even stronger. Some 86 percent of 16-24-year-olds said they would not take a wage hit – contradicting a popular theory that young people are more willing to earn less if it means working less.

When asked if they worked too much, 44 percent disagreed and just 20 percent told YouGov that they were in over their head professionally.

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The same thoughts applied to taking early retirement. 60 percent said that they would not choose to give up work early if it meant getting less pension.

Again, in the 16-24 age bracket this figure was higher, at nearly 70 percent, although many of them were not yet old enough to be legally required to pay into a pension.

The Local/jcw

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

08:19 February 13, 2013 by ChrisRea
Really? What a shock! :)
10:58 February 13, 2013 by Englishted
What percentage now get payed overtime for over hours?
13:33 February 13, 2013 by Simon_Kellett
I went from 40 hours to 30 hours 14 years ago for a prorata paycut: never looked back, even though the kids are now teenagers. My employer has a policy of no overtime: it as to be taken of in lieu, so no extra overtime payments !!

Also my employer gets the best 3/4 of my working week: not those end of days when you start to lag !!
00:34 February 14, 2013 by Berlin fuer alles
What a delightful office to work in. That one in the picture is my idea of hell on earth.
03:48 February 14, 2013 by chicagolive
Most already get paid nothing as it is why in the world would they volunteer for a pay cut.
20:45 February 14, 2013 by raandy
Berlin fuer alles... you got that right ,she looks like a real man hater,, wo scary.

When people were talking about a pay cut for more time off they had more and could manage. Now this is not the same case peoples budgets are stretched and times have changed, easy days are passed its not attitudes or change of behavior like the article suggests its economics.
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