Only One in Three German Companies Has an Emergency Plan for Energy

Germany

ifo | Only just under one-third of German companies has an emergency plan for dealing with the energy crisis. This is the result of the new Randstad ifo Personnel Manager Survey of 700 HR managers. “The smaller the company, the less often measures were in place. Among companies with more than 500 employees, 60 percent have taken appropriate precautions. For companies with up to 50 employees, the figure is only 15 percent,” says ifo researcher Johanna Garnitz.


Approaches vary depending on the economic sector. “Manufacturing is being hit hardest by the current energy price crisis. This is also where the highest proportion of companies – 43 percent – have prepared for a potential shortage. In the service sector, the figure is 25 percent, while in trade, the figure is just 17 percent,” Garnitz says.


“Given the current shortage of skilled workers, companies are hardly considering reducing headcount. Instead, they want their workforce to use up overtime and vacation. The most commonly cited energy-saving measure, however, is reducing the temperature in buildings,” Garnitz says. The majority of companies surveyed are also considering increasing remote working and short-time work. Respondents suggest it is rather unlikely that companies will move to restrict their own business operations.

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The Corner
The Corner has a team of on-the-ground reporters in capital cities ranging from New York to Beijing. Their stories are edited by the teams at the Spanish magazine Consejeros (for members of companies’ boards of directors) and at the stock market news site Consenso Del Mercado (market consensus). They have worked in economics and communication for over 25 years.