‘I Won’t Make It to Retirement’: German Survey Shows Widespread Doubts Among Nurses, Plumbers, and Teachers

Nearly three out of four plumbers and sanitation workers in Germany believe they cannot stay in their jobs until retirement age. The same goes for 71 percent of nurses and 67 percent of elderly-care workers. A new wave of data from the DGB “Good Work” Index, which surveyed roughly 28,000 employees between 2022 and 2026, paints a grim picture of physical and emotional overload in the country’s most strain-intensive professions.

The overall figure is still stark: four in ten German workers doubt they will be able to continue in their current career until they retire. In high-end construction, 66 percent share that view; among early-childhood educators, the rate is 57 percent. The main drivers, the trade-union-affiliated index finds, are heavy physical exertion, constant time pressure, and loud, stressful environments. DGB chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi has called for “fundamentally healthier working conditions” across industries.

With physical strain and time pressure pushing workers out of their roles early, many companies are only now realizing the gaps in their risk management. A free toolkit provides 41 ready-to-use templates and checklists to document hazards, comply with regulations, and protect your team from long-term harm. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit

Emotions in the office or on the shop floor are no longer taboo, but handling them effectively remains a challenge. Mailin Modrack of the German Society for Psychosomatic Medicine and Medical Psychotherapy (DGPP) notes that workplace anger often stems from conflicts over values or from wounded needs for autonomy, control, and belonging. Her practical advice: get physical exercise, keep a journal, or seek social support. Chronic anger, she warns, can become dysfunctional and impair long-term work ability.

A separate study released yesterday, co-sponsored by the Techniker Krankenkasse, adds another layer: a home-office share of up to 60 percent can boost productivity by around 20 percent. Yet many managers are pushing for a full return to the office. Research from the Wharton School suggests that narcissistic personality traits in superiors are a major reason for mandatory-presence policies. The same study found that higher leadership salaries tend to correlate with stronger opposition to remote work.

These workplace tensions unfold alongside technological change. Analyses published on Thursday argue that “resilient leadership” in the age of AI demands high ambiguity tolerance and solid judgment. Managers must shoulder ethical responsibility even as the pace of change accelerates, with artificial intelligence serving only as a tool.

Political moves by the incoming black-red coalition are adding fuel to the debate. The government plans to require a doctor’s note from the first day of illness and to abolish the phone-based sick-note system. The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) warns that the measure could paradoxically increase absence rates. Leadership at the AOK health-insurance fund has dismissed the plan as mere symbolic politics.

Beyond physical hazards, emotional strain at work is a growing compliance concern. A comprehensive health and safety toolkit, trusted by over 37,000 UK businesses, includes risk assessments, checklists, and toolbox talks to help you manage both physical and mental wellbeing. Download the free Health & Safety Toolkit

The gap between policy and reality is playing out at Zalando’s Erfurt site, where negotiations over a social plan for roughly 2,100 employees are ongoing. The next conciliation board meeting is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. While the works council protests the planned site closure at the end of September, the corporation is spending billions on acquisitions and share buybacks.

In contrast, long-term leadership stability can produce remarkable results. A new profile of SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell illustrates the point: since 2002, she has run the company’s day-to-day operations, building the foundation for a valuation that now sits at around two trillion dollars. By managing production and sales, she is credited with creating the strategic freedom that allowed breakthrough developments to happen.

en | boerse | 69700113 |