Germany: Andrea Nahles wants to encourage businesses to try out new forms of working organization in the new digital age

Three years after having launched a ‘national dialogue’ on the future of work in the digital age, and having published both a Green Paper and a ‘White Paper on Work 4.0’, Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, Andrea Nahles (SPD) is now intent on advancing to the next stage of putting what has been learnt thus far into place. On 14 June in Berlin at the ‘Workshop-debate on Work 4.0’ the Minister ‘cut the ribbon’ to open the business ‘apprenticeship and experimental forum’ that is dedicated to developing innovative ways of working. The Minister also used the event to launch an Internet platform that will enable companies and administrative authorities that have implemented ‘experimental forums’ to exchange information on their separate experiences. The same day Ms. Nahles announced the abandonment of her draft law on ‘chosen working time’, which would have allowed for a trial period of two years companies to derogate from the law on working time.