Smoke break threatened in Germany

November 16, 2004

In increasingly desperate moves to cut labour costs, German economists are considering how employers can avoid paying their workers during cigarette and tea breaks.

Employees may have to carry time cards and stamp themselves in and out when they leave the workplace for a smoke or drink so that at the end of the month the time not worked could be totted up and wages


Norbert Walter, the head economist at Deutsche Bank, told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag that restricting pay to time actually worked would dramatically reduce the labour costs of companies.

"Those who want to smoke and drink tea should be able to continue doing so, but no-one should expect that the employer should pay for cigarette and tea breaks," he said.

Some estimates say that under such a scheme some employees would stand to lose up to a month's wages each year.

Although the proposal has not yet got official backing, it has sparked a debate in Germany and won the support of some senior political figures as economists and politicians scramble to find new ideas to revive the country's lethargic economy.

Michael Fuchs, an economics expert with the opposition CDU party, who owns a company in the Netherlands that employs 500, has already decided not to pay those who smoke on his firm's time. "It's not fair to non-smokers when smokers continue to be paid during their cigarette breaks," he said.

"Where possible, smokers should register their breaks with time cards. Or they can work off the work-free time afterwards. There is enough leisure time for smoking."

But in Germany, where unions remain powerful, supporters of the proposal are likely to come up against a lot of opposition.

Klaus Brandner, economic policy spokesman for the governing Social Democrats, said: "The parties concerned should check whether it makes sense to cut paid breaks.

"Workers councils and company boards should find a sensible solution."

The Telegraph, London