Restaurateurs defend themselves against accusations of overtime in the Ebersberg district!

Restaurateurs defend themselves against accusations of overtime in the Ebersberg district!

In the Ebersberg district, a current study by the NGG union is causing a stir, showing that over half of all overtime in the catering industry remains unpaid. This claim has met with strong criticism from many restaurateurs, including Anita Stocker, landlady from Landsham and district chairwoman of DEHOGA. “That has nothing to do with reality, it’s absolute nonsense,” says Stocker vehemently. Her inn keeps all 18 employees paid on time and regularly according to the hours they work, which she also considers important for the entire industry.

The restaurateur sees serious errors in the NGG statistics. She explains that the comparisons with the opening times of the restaurants do not reflect the actual work performance. Employees are often busy preparing long before official opening hours, which is not taken into account in the calculation. “Our employees often work with a lot of commitment and I don’t want to put them at any disadvantage,” Stocker continued.

Flexibility of working hours required

The catering industry is hoping for a legal change to make working hours more flexible. Dr. Thomas Geppert, regional manager of DEHOGA Bavaria, supports this point of view. According to a survey of 2,500 people commissioned by the Bertelsmann Foundation, many employees miss flexibility in their working hours. Geppert emphasizes that the current working time law no longer corresponds to the realities of employees' lives and calls for a reorganization of the maximum daily working hours in order to better meet the needs.

The survey shows that 49.9% of workers have flexible working hours, with men (52.8%) having more influence over their working hours than women (46.8%). What is particularly striking is that only 31.6% of 15 to 24 year olds have the freedom to organize their working hours flexibly. In contrast, older age groups have over 50% flexibility, which indicates that there is a need for action here.

Industry feels under pressure

Stocker and Geppert criticize that the NGG's warnings have a negative impact on the image of the catering industry. “We rely on satisfied employees,” explains Stocker. She emphasizes that many people enjoy working in the catering industry, even if the professional reality is often challenging. This challenge is compounded by unattractive remuneration, which is less attractive compared to other European countries.

The planned flexibilization could not only relieve the burden on the industry, but also lead to the creation of new work incentives. Geppert appeals to the federal government to take the necessary measures to stabilize the economic conditions and increase the overall attractiveness of the hospitality industry.