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New Work: Self-determined work in a changing world and doing what you “really, really want to do.”
Doing what you “really, really want to do” is the goal of many people in (traditional) employment relationships. New Work promises exactly that. First appearing in the 1970s, the concept is more relevant today than ever before: especially in times of great upheaval and uncertainty, such as we are currently experiencing, the New Work approach comes into play and empowers people to develop themselves. It is not about turning away from work itself, but about transforming it so that people can work freely and with self-determination. The goal is to promote employment models that make it possible to emancipate oneself from the rigid concept of wage labor. As a result, individual interests and strengths should be the focus. Based on the experience that one's own work is perceived as effective and relevant, the community can also be strengthened at the same time. It is this synergy that makes New Work particularly attractive to many people. However, in addition to the advantages and opportunities, the approaches of the New Work world also bring challenges. For example, the increasingly individualizable decision on where and when to work offers more flexibility and sovereignty, but factors such as the blurring of boundaries between work and private life must also be considered, argues Hans-Jürgen Urban in a recent APuZ article on “New Work between blurring boundaries and empowerment.” The new issue of the magazine “Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte” (Politics and Contemporary History) from the Federal Agency for Civic Education is entirely devoted to the history and future of “New Work,” with contributions from various authors and their perspectives on the topic.
We were also interested in the following topics:
Gender and hiring: A meta-analysis examined gender-specific differences in hiring for new jobs. The results show that discrimination against women in male-connoted jobs has decreased over time. In contrast, discrimination against men in female-connoted jobs has remained stable over time.
Bafög: The German Student Services Organization (Deutsches Studierendenwerk) is reiterating its demand for an increase in Bafög rates and is pushing for the necessary funds to be included in the 2024 federal budget. The decisive meeting on this issue will take place this week in the Bundestag. Due in particular to the coronavirus pandemic, the financial situation of many students remains tense, as reported by the RND.
Student loans: During the pandemic, the Federal Ministry of Education covered the interest on KfW student loans. But now students are facing variable interest rates and corresponding cost increases for financing their education. ZDFheute clearly illustrates the problem on Instagram.
Citizen's income: The increase in citizen's income from 2024 seems to be tempting for some dissatisfied employees. However, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil warns urgently against false conclusions and hasty resignations. SPIEGEL quotes the minister's clear words on the program “hart, aber fair” (tough but fair).
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