Four day working week in Austria: unions renew call for shorter hours with full pay

Austria is again debating a shorter working week with full pay. The central demand is a genuine reduction in weekly hours, not simply compressing the same workload into four longer days.

Trade union representatives from Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein renewed the discussion at a meeting of the Interregional Trade Union Council Lake Constance in Bregenz. Their argument is that digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence have increased productivity, while statutory working hours have seen no comparable change for decades.

How many hours is a working week in Austria

The statutory normal working time in Austria is eight hours a day and 40 hours a week. Many collective agreements already set shorter weeks of 38 or 38.5 hours. The last major legal reduction took place between 1970 and 1975, when the weekly standard gradually fell from 45 to 40 hours.

The current proposal is not merely about arranging work across four days. A compressed four day schedule can already be agreed in some circumstances. Unions are calling for fewer total hours while employees keep their full monthly salary.

Why unions want a 35 hour week with full pay

Supporters say technological progress allows more work to be completed in each hour. They also point to higher work intensity, psychological strain and the growing expectation that employees remain reachable outside normal hours.

A shorter week could provide more time for rest and family life, reduce long term health pressure and make occupations with staff shortages more attractive. The Austrian Trade Union Federation also argues that many part time workers want additional hours. If 35 hours became the new full time standard, work could be distributed differently without automatically reducing the total amount of labour in the economy.

Why employers oppose a general reduction

Business and industry representatives warn that paying the same salary for fewer hours raises the cost of each hour worked. Companies would need a sufficient rise in productivity or additional staff to maintain output and service levels.

The challenge differs sharply between offices and sectors such as hospitals, hotels, restaurants, manufacturing and construction, where continuous coverage is essential. Austria is not currently introducing a mandatory four day or 35 hour week for all employees. The legal basis remains 40 hours a week, although collective agreements may provide shorter working time. The debate is active, but no nationwide reform has been adopted.

GlobalTalent24 investigates the future of working time

The GlobalTalent24 Team is investigating what a shorter working week could mean for employees, employers and labour markets in Austria and in the other countries where GlobalTalent24 is present. Our reporting will focus on pay, productivity, part time work, staff shortages and the prospects of people who work abroad or are considering doing so.

Further GlobalTalent24 analyses will compare national laws, collective agreements and practical experience from companies in different countries. The aim is to distinguish models that genuinely reduce hours while protecting pay from arrangements that merely compress the existing workload into fewer days.

Official sources

Austrian Legal Information System: Working Time Act

Austrian Chamber of Labour: Normal working time

Austrian Chamber of Labour: Full time work for the 21st century