Elective Working Time: The Basis for an Employee-Oriented Working Hours Design

“Elective working time” means that the individual employee can repeatedly determine the duration of his/her contractual working hours within a range close to full-time without changing jobs, thus adapting to his/her personal obligations, needs and/or desires. It replaces the company’s regular working hours and at the same time blurs the line between full-time and part-time work—with the desired result of avoiding the usual devaluation of the latter. With elective working time, the widespread need for shorter contractual working hours can simply be implemented within the respective company’s working time system, while employees can always work longer again at any time. Elective working time can only be implemented in flexible working time systems—and supports their needs-based functioning. Employers offering it can also expect a reduction in labor costs.