The CDU’s economic wing has dropped a political bombshell that could reshape how millions of people work in Germany. The Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) (Middle Class and Business Union) wants to abolish the legal entitlement to part-time work, forcing employees to justify why they shouldn’t work full-time. For international residents accustomed to Germany’s worker-friendly reputation, this proposal signals a dramatic shift in labor policy.
What the “Lifestyle-Teilzeit” Ban Actually Means
Currently, any employee in Germany with more than six months tenure at a company with over 15 staff has a legal right (Rechtsanspruch) to reduce their working hours. The MIT’s proposal, titled “Kein Rechtsanspruch auf Lifestyle-Teilzeit” (No Legal Entitlement to Lifestyle Part-Time), would scrap this universal right.
Instead, you’d need a “besondere Begründung” (special justification) to work less than full-time. Acceptable reasons would include:
- Kindererziehung (childcare)
- Pflege Angehöriger (caregiving for relatives)
- Weiterbildungen (professional development)
What wouldn’t count? Wanting more time for hobbies, personal projects, or simply avoiding burnout. As MIT chairwoman Gitta Connemann bluntly stated: “Wer mehr arbeiten kann, sollte mehr arbeiten” (Whoever can work more, should work more).
The Numbers Behind the Controversy
The MIT justifies this attack on part-time rights by pointing to Germany’s record-high Teilzeitquote (part-time rate). In 2024, 29% of German employees worked part-time, a historic high. Among women, nearly half (49%) work reduced hours, compared to just 12% of men.
But here’s what the raw numbers don’t show: most part-time workers aren’t living a cushy “lifestyle” choice. According to the Statistischen Bundesamt (Federal Statistical Office), external factors force the majority into reduced hours:
- 50% of women in part-time care for children or relatives
- 20% of men in part-time have caregiving responsibilities
- 10% of all part-timers want more hours but can’t find full-time positions
The MIT’s proposal ignores this reality, painting all part-time workers as selfishly burdening the Sozialstaat (welfare state) while enjoying full benefits.
Political Firestorm: Even CDU Allies Are Furious
The proposal hasn’t just angered the usual opposition parties, it’s triggered a civil war within the CDU itself.
Internal CDU Rebellion
Dennis Radtke, chairman of the Christlich-Demokratischen Arbeitnehmerschaft (CDA) (Christian Democratic Employees’ Association), called the plan “zäumen das Pferd von der falschen Seite auf” (tacking the horse from the wrong side). While he also wants more full-time workers, he argues the solution is better Kinderbetreuung (childcare) and eldercare infrastructure, not stripping workers’ rights.
“Aus guten Gründen haben wir uns als CDU immer für maximale Wahlfreiheit ausgesprochen”, Radtke emphasized, pointing out that restricting part-time contradicts core CDU values.
Coalition Partner Backlash
The SPD and Greens have been even harsher. SPD labor expert Annika Klose warned: “Die Menschen in Deutschland arbeiten heute bereits in vielen Fällen an der Belastungsgrenze” (People in Germany already work at their limit in many cases). She predicts the policy would lead to “höhere Burnout-Quoten oder einem früheren Ausscheiden aus dem Arbeitsleben” (higher burnout rates or earlier exit from working life).
Green Party health spokesperson Janosch Dahmen called “Lifestyle-Teilzeit” a “politischer Kampfbegriff” (political fighting term) designed to “Misstrauen und Missgunst schüren” (stir mistrust and resentment).
The Economic Argument: Fachkräftemangel vs. Work-Life Balance
The MIT frames this as solving Germany’s dramatic Fachkräftemangel (skilled labor shortage). Their logic: if everyone capable of full-time work did so, the economy would gain millions of labor hours overnight.
But economists and labor experts call this simplistic. Marcel Fratzscher, head of the Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (German Institute for Economic Research), warns the policy would backfire: “Eine Einschränkung des Rechtsanspruchs auf Teilzeit würde vielen Unternehmen und der deutschen Wirtschaft großen Schaden zufügen” (Restricting the legal entitlement to part-time would cause great damage to many companies and the German economy).
He expects employment would actually decrease as workers, especially skilled professionals, choose unemployment over inflexible full-time positions. The Fachkräftemangel could worsen, not improve.
The Tax Trap Nobody’s Discussing
Here’s where this connects directly to your wallet. Many Germans, particularly in the “upper middle class” that Connemann claims are abusing part-time rights, face a brutal financial calculation.
One engineer explained the math in online discussions: working full-time means handing over 42-45% of additional income to taxes and social contributions. After childcare costs, commuting, and other work-related expenses, the net gain for working 40+ hours instead of 30 can be as little as €200-300 monthly.
For many, the rational choice is Teilzeit, not from laziness, but because the German tax and social contribution system makes additional work financially unattractive. The MIT’s proposal doesn’t address this core issue, it just removes the escape hatch.
This ties directly to CDU’s stance on middle-class tax policy and economic reform, where promised “relief” often fails to materialize in real terms.
Real Impact: From Engineers to Nurses
The proposal would hit different professions in wildly unequal ways.
High-Skilled Professionals
Software engineers, consultants, and managers, disproportionately expats in Germany, often negotiate Teilzeit to maintain work-life balance. Without the legal backstop, employers could simply refuse, creating a “take it or leave it” full-time demand. Many would “leave it”, taking their scarce skills elsewhere.
Healthcare Workers
The irony? The very sector most affected by Fachkräftemangel would suffer most. Nurses and caregivers already work brutal hours. Forcing full-time schedules would accelerate the exodus from the profession. As one healthcare worker noted in discussions, “Ohne unbezahlte Überstunden würde kein Krankenhaus außerhalb einer Großstadt funktionieren” (Without unpaid overtime, no hospital outside a major city would function).
Parents and Caregivers
While the proposal technically exempts childcare and caregiving, it creates a bureaucratic nightmare. Who decides what’s “enough” caregiving? Would you need a doctor’s note for elderly parents? Proof of kindergarten waiting lists? The uncertainty alone would deter many from even requesting Teilzeit.
The Bigger Picture: Germany’s Economic Identity Crisis
This debate reflects deeper tensions in German economic policy. The country faces:
- Demographic collapse: A shrinking workforce must support an aging population
- Productivity stagnation: German workers already put in long hours with relatively low productivity gains
- Net payer fatigue: High earners feel they’re financing the system without getting commensurate returns
The Merz government’s solution seems to be: work more, not smarter. This aligns with other controversial proposals like broader pension and capital income reforms affecting long-term economic security, which also shift burdens onto workers without addressing structural inefficiencies.
Meanwhile, rising private health insurance costs quietly slash net incomes, making full-time work even less attractive for high earners. The system creates a vicious cycle: high taxes and contributions reduce work incentives, leading to more Teilzeit, prompting calls to force people back to full-time.
What This Means for International Residents
If you’re an expat in Germany, this proposal should set off alarm bells:
-
Negotiating power evaporates: Without the Rechtsanspruch, your employer can refuse part-time requests without justification. Your “right” becomes a favor.
-
Visa implications: Many residence permits tie to specific employment conditions. Losing flexibility could force you into jobs that don’t suit your family situation or health needs.
-
Cultural whiplash: Germany marketed itself as a work-life balance paradise. This policy shift would fundamentally change that value proposition.
-
Gender equality reversal: The proposal disproportionately harms women, who make up the majority of part-time workers due to childcare responsibilities. International families often rely on flexible arrangements to manage dual careers.
The Real Solution (That Nobody’s Proposing)
Critics across the political spectrum agree: if you want more full-time workers, make full-time work more attractive. This means:
- Tax reform: Reduce the marginal burden on additional income
- Infrastructure: Actually build the promised Kitas (daycares) and Pflegeeinrichtungen (care facilities)
- Flexibility: Trust workers to manage their own productivity, focusing on output rather than hours
As Dennis Radtke noted, many people feel trapped in a “Teilzeitfalle” (part-time trap) because inadequate childcare prevents them from working more. Fix the trap, don’t punish the trapped.
Bottom Line: A Policy That Misses the Mark
The MIT’s proposal mistakes symptoms for causes. Germans aren’t working less because they’re lazy, they’re responding to a system where additional effort yields diminishing returns, and where family infrastructure remains chronically underfunded.
Forcing full-time work through legal fiat won’t solve the Fachkräftemangel. It will simply drive skilled workers abroad, push parents out of the workforce, and accelerate burnout in critical sectors.
The debate reveals a party struggling to address 21st-century economic challenges with 20th-century thinking. As one critic summarized: “Statt Arbeit in Vollzeit attraktiver zu gestalten, indem man die Abgabenlast verringert, macht man einfach Teilzeit madig” (Instead of making full-time work attractive by reducing the tax burden, they’re just making part-time unappealing).
For now, this remains a party proposal, not law. But with Friedrich Merz’s government pushing for “more work” across multiple policy fronts, the direction is clear. If you value your work-life balance in Germany, it’s time to pay attention, and perhaps start planning alternatives.
The real question isn’t why Germans want to work less. It’s why the CDU would rather coerce than compete for their labor.
