A survey among 1,000 Viennese provides new insights on the subject of work: working 34 hours instead of 32 hours, higher pay and working from home. There is no universal solution.
The labor market is in crisis, too few employees, too many vacancies. The mood within working society is not as bad as is often portrayed. This is evident from a study conducted among 1,000 Viennese by the market research institute Matzka on behalf of the SPÖ. Two-thirds of those surveyed are completely satisfied with their work.
Despite high levels of satisfaction, there are also areas of concern, including dissatisfaction with pay or poor planning at work, with negative consequences for the desired work-life balance. “Nurses in particular complain to us about their suffering when they have to intervene spontaneously during the weekend,” says chamber leader Renate Anderl of Labor.
The much-discussed topic of working hours is interesting. Contrary to expectations, the 32-hour working week is not performing very well and is only supported by just over half. The four-day week, on the other hand, performs better at 63 percent, especially among women. “Daily work is becoming increasingly complex, we are constantly available on our mobile phones and there is no time to rest,” says Anderl. Companies that offer a 4-day working week were unable to avoid registrations.
When it comes to working from home, two out of three respondents are satisfied with working from home for two days.
SPÖ Vienna club boss Josef Taucher held an expert panel on the topic “Transformation in the working world”. What has emerged is that, depending on the industry and the company, a package of measures and individual solutions are needed.
Rejected again for a 32 hour work week
For SPÖ boss Andreas Babler, a general reduction in working hours to 32 hours per week with full wage compensation is the solution to the current imbalance in the labor market. Opinions on this are divided and discussions are heated. However, a current survey by the market research institute Matzka among 1,000 Viennese (see above) rejects the red question.
More than half (57 percent) think a reduction in working hours to 32 hours is desirable, but 40 percent are against it. Although two-thirds of respondents do not want to work full-time, i.e. 38.5 hours or more, 32 hours is not enough for many.
The four-day working week is the most popular model for working time reduction. All in all, a differentiated picture emerges that calls for individual solutions.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
