At the start of the year, a debate launched by Union politicians around “lifestyle part‑time” largely overlooked the interests of both employees and employers. An Allensbach survey for the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” confirms this. It found that 90 % of part‑time workers had already reached an agreement with their employer, while only 2 % had to assert their right to part‑time against the employer’s wishes. Yet barely a third of respondents understood that the debate was about this minority; 39 % thought it applied to all workers, and another third remained undecided.
The survey also revealed a wide spectrum of reasons for choosing part‑time. Respondents could select multiple options, and the predominant factors were: fear of overload (40 %), childcare and raising children (27 %), care for relatives (14 %), health restrictions (23 %), and employer requirements (9 %). In addition, almost one third of part‑time workers cited a desire for ample free time for hobbies and friends (31 %), while a quarter indicated that part‑time work does not entail financial disadvantages (24 %). According to the Allensbach analysis, these are likely the motives that the ill‑fated “lifestyle part‑time” debate intended to address.