Digitalisation and working time

Abstract

"In the wake of technical changes, establishments and companies do not only replace outdated machines and plants with new ones that have a higher capacity but also adapt the way establishments are organised so that the new technologies can develop their full potential. This applies particularly to digitalisation, of which one of the prominent characteristics is the interconnectedness of the virtual-digital world and the physical world in establishments and companies. At the level of individual workstations, the contents of the task - for example the interaction between human beings and machines - can change, but it is also possible that certain activities are assigned to external employees as, for instance, in crowdworking. Existing and newly set up companies offer new products and services leading to the creation of new work places, particularly with direct contact to the customer, but not only there. However, along with this, work places are also 'destroyed' and/or moved elsewhere or abroad through automatization and roboterization. These changes to labour market structures and processes can lead to differing reactions in the area of organising in-house working time. At the present time, the extension of weekly working hours and the use of the home office are of particular interest. That is why the current article deals especially with these two areas." (Text excerpt, © Springer-Verlag)

Cite article

Bellmann, L. (2017): Digitalisierung und Arbeitszeit. In: Wirtschaftsdienst, Vol. 97, No. 7, p. 470-473.