> There are surgery residents working 24h+ shifts. We have laws against overworking truck drivers, but somehow the medical profession gets a pass.
That is so true. During my Zivildienst[0], for nurses were required either by law or by collective agreement to have at least ten hours of free time / rest between two shifts. The morning shift was 06:00 to 14:00, the late shift was 13:00 to 21:00, so if somebody worked the shift one day and the early shift the next day, they could either leave an hour earlier on the first day or come in an hour later on the second day. But Doctors working 24 hour shifts were not seen as a problem.
In Germany, this is weirdly intertwined with the pay structure of medical doctors, so any attempt to improve working conditions would also result in lower wages, which the medical doctors do not like, either, so the whole situation is somewhat stuck.
EDIT: [0] When we had a military draft in Germany, one could become a conscientious objector and serve in a civilian institution instead, for example Hospitals or nursing homes.
That is so true. During my Zivildienst[0], for nurses were required either by law or by collective agreement to have at least ten hours of free time / rest between two shifts. The morning shift was 06:00 to 14:00, the late shift was 13:00 to 21:00, so if somebody worked the shift one day and the early shift the next day, they could either leave an hour earlier on the first day or come in an hour later on the second day. But Doctors working 24 hour shifts were not seen as a problem.
In Germany, this is weirdly intertwined with the pay structure of medical doctors, so any attempt to improve working conditions would also result in lower wages, which the medical doctors do not like, either, so the whole situation is somewhat stuck.
EDIT: [0] When we had a military draft in Germany, one could become a conscientious objector and serve in a civilian institution instead, for example Hospitals or nursing homes.