In February 2018, IG Metall and the metal employers of Baden-Württemberg agreed that employees may reduce their working week to 28 hours for up to two years. Afterward they have a full right to return to full time. Shift workers, carers and parents of young children may also choose eight days off instead of a new annual payment. In November 2018, a union survey of works councils in 1,400 companies found that about 190,000 employees planned to take the days off.
In March 2024, after months of strikes, the train drivers’ union GDL and Deutsche Bahn agreed to cut the working week for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours by 2029, with no loss of pay. Workers who prefer money can choose to work longer, up to 40 hours a week, for more pay.