On November 15, 2016, the European Sunday Alliance held its third European conference. The theme of the meeting was “Work-Life-Balance 4.0 – Challenges in a time of digitalization.” Over 100 participants discussed how digitalization impacts all aspects of our lives and how a healthy work-life-balance can be secured.
Remember, this is the European Sunday Alliance. Their purpose is to promote Sunday rest, which is foundational to Sunday worship. Their aim is to establish stronger Sunday rest laws and to encourage respect for Sunday.
During the meeting the European Sunday Alliance launched a “Resolution for a better work-life-balance and synchronized free time in the age of digitalization.” Synchronized free time means that society at large has the same time off from work each week. The resolution is aimed at activating civil society and politicians to use opportunities for a better work-life-balance. In other words, their purpose is to encourage more respect for Sunday, which is the designated synchronized free time.
Participants included members of the European parliament, the president of the Group III of the European Economic and Social Committee.
Thomas Mann, a member of the European Parliament highlighted that “work-life-balance is a crucial factor in the debate on Health and Safety at Work.” During his speech he said, “We have to defend workers against the philosophy of the always-available employee. Our message to the (European) institutions,” he added, “We stand for a work-free day for all European citizens! I demand to establish the Sunday as work-free day within the working time directive revision!”
The working time directive is a regulation provided by the European Parliament to all nations concerning working hours, overtime, and other matters. Mann’s demand is forceful.
Evelyn Regner, another member of the European Parliament said, “Digitalization brings new opportunities but it also contains risks for a healthy work-life-balance. Workers must be able to disconnect in their home life.” Then she added, “The right to have breaks, to be unavailable during leisure time and to have at least one work-free day per week has to be secured for all workers in Europe.”
Regner also spoke on a second topic. “Life beyond work and digitalization – The need for unavailability.” She underlined the value of breaks; not only for employees, but also for the productivity and creativity of companies themselves. The Auxiliary Bishop of Reims, H. E. Dr. Bruno Fellet endorsed Regner’s statement. He pointed out that young people especially, who don’t have high-level skills have difficulty making ends meet so they take more than one unskilled job, which would make work-life-balance impossible.
Hannes Kreller, from the Alliance for the Free Sunday Germany, stressed the importance of synchronized free time to participate in social life, in sports, or culture. “Everybody is doing yoga or fitness today to find an individual way to escape the so-called “rat race.” However, what is needed is a common and consistent approach to work-life-balance for the whole of society.
Sunday rest and worship is the aim of the European Sunday Alliance. As they promote the various aspects of this, they are expressing the very reasons why God gave us the seventh-day as His day of rest. The European Union is the resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. A push for Sunday rest should not surprise the student of Bible prophecy.
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him… Revelation 13:8.