Mercedes-Benz has revised the working hours for its employees in Germany, extending the weekly work schedule from 35 to 40 hours without any supplementary compensation. This change translates to employees putting in roughly 260 additional hours per year. Concurrently, a special bonus amounting to 18% of the monthly salary, initially set to be distributed to approximately 90,000 employees in July, has been deferred until 2027. This strategic adjustment is made in the context of the pervasive challenges confronting the automotive industry, where factors like tariffs and a demand for electric vehicles that falls short of expectations have exerted substantial cost pressures on Mercedes-Benz.
