Wave of redundancies inevitable? Why more and more Germans simply can't do any more

Too much stress, too little rest - and now?

A recent Statista survey shows that 44 percent of employees intend to resign in the next twelve months. The reasons? Not in the mood? Lazy Gen Z? No - the majority simply feel they have reached their limit.

There is a lot of talk about longer working hours, higher productivity and more flexibility. But how can this be put into practice? More and more people in Germany feel permanently overworked - and are seriously considering changing jobs.

When eight hours are too many and six are too few

Almost one in two people work 8 to 10 hours a day - but hardly anyone actually stays focused for more than 4 to 6 hours. And this is not an isolated case: 43 percent regularly work overtime, 12 percent even every day. Younger employees between the ages of 18 and 24 are particularly affected - almost one in five work longer hours every day.

The price of this high workload is clearly noticeable: exhaustion, neglected private life and constant stress bring employees to the brink of burnout. Sleep also gets worse - this effect is particularly noticeable in men. Add to this additional pressure from above, a flood of parallel projects and constant availability, and the path to collective burnout is practically pre-programmed.

Between withdrawal, sick leave and inner resignation

The reactions to the excessive demands vary, but one thing is clear: the situation is serious. Some speak openly in the team about their workload, others pull the ripcord at short notice and take leave or call in sick. What is particularly alarming is that some even pretend to be more productive than they can actually manage - a clear sign of inner withdrawal.

All of this is like a silent distress call that can no longer be ignored. After all, the constant overload is increasingly turning into a wave of redundancies - especially among young employees, many of whom are already seriously considering quitting their jobs.

The warning is out - what happens now?

Annika in der Beek from Statista puts it in a nutshell: we finally need a corporate culture that actively supports breaks and relaxation instead of branding them as a weakness. At the same time, employees should learn to recognize their limits in good time - and to defend them.

But let's be honest: anyone who still has the energy to "reflect" on their workload limits with their manager after ten hours of work is probably living in a different world.

The truth is inconvenient!

If almost one in two people is thinking about quitting, it's not because of the people, but because of the system. Many companies treat their employees like batteries - always charging them, never switching them off. And when the battery is empty? Then "resilience training" is offered.

Perhaps the better way would be: less PowerPoint, more pause. Less pressure, more dialog. And if politicians are really talking about extending working hours, they should first deal with reality - and not with wishful thinking from the conference room.