Home » HR practices » Quality of life at work » Germany: status report on the ZEITREICH (Time-Rich) project that aims to support SMEs achieve working time solutions, which benefit both their and their employees’ interests Germany: status report on the ZEITREICH (Time-Rich) project that aims to support SMEs achieve working time solutions, which benefit both their and their employees’ interests While Germany’s working-time debate continues apace and the country’s trade unions seek working time arrangements that include employees’ needs alongside company profits, the ZEITREICH (Time-Rich) project continues its pioneering progress. Launched in July 2016 with backing from the German Labor Minister, ZEITREICH seeks to assist SMEs devise, test, and implement innovative working time models that cater both to the interests of companies as well as those of employees. To date 13 have either companies and administrative bodies participated or are still participating in the project. The participants are operating across four different sector (Metallurgy and electro-technical, Retailing, Chemicals, Public authorities administration). ZEITREICH is scheduled to come to a close in June 2019. One of the project’s leaders, Harmut Seifert, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for social and economic science (WSI) of the Hans Böckler foundation sat down with Planet Labor to discuss the project’s specifics and challenges, and the initial lessons that can be drawn from the experience. Jörg Böttcher and Marco Hilbers, first and second chairmen of the Emco Group WC also shared the solutions that were secured as part of the ZEITREICH project for the 610 staff working at the Emco head office in Lingen. Through . Published on 17 October 2018 à 13h13 - Update on 06 March 2019 à 17h38 Resources Designing ‘compromises in the arena of working time flexibility’. Headed up by a group of experts from the Ludwigshafen IBE (Institut für Beschäftigung und Employability – the institute for employment and employability), the employer-friendly IW Cologne Institute for Economic Research in Germany, the consultancy firm WMP Consult, and the former Head of the Institute for social and economic science (WSI), the ZEITREICH project possesses a “particular attribute”, Harmut Seifert commenced by explaining. Namely, the project “seeks working time solutions that reconcile both the interests of businesses and their employees.” It’s a question of seeking ‘win-win’ solutions and in order to achieve them we proceed step-by-step. Let’s not forget that first and foremost companies see flexible working as a way of cutting costs in so far as working time adapts to fit variable workloads.… Need more info ? Contact mind's on-demand study service Which service do you want to contact :WritingCommercial serviceTechnical SupportFirst name Last name Organization Function email* Object of the message Your messageCommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Essentials Les dernières publications Supporting parenthood in the workplace: a win-win strategy Supporting employee carers: a CSR challenge Analyzes Les dernières publications Paternity leave: data observations from 41 countries EU: during H1 2022 five EU Member States have raised their minimum salary levels