A nation of workaholics has a new fixation: working less

A younger generation are turning their backs on the country's famed Protestant work ethic. (Image: Cam Pollack/WSJ, PixelSquid)

The Wall Street Journal

Sat, 24 Aug 2024

By Bertrand BenoitGermany invented the Protestant work ethic. Now, it is falling out of love with the grind.Germans worked 1,343 hours on average last year, less than anyone else in the OECD, a club of 38 rich nations.Germans also took an average of 19.4 sick days last year, according to the Techniker Krankenkasse, the country’s largest health insurer, the highest number ever recorded.Ending a decades-long hiatus, trade unions have begun pushing for shorter working hours – not just higher pay.Coaches, sociologists, and organisation...

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