The hope of a significant relief for employees through a generous special payment from employers this year threatens to become a flop. According to a representative survey by Capital and stern among German managers and managing directors ("decision-makers"), only just under a third of companies are planning such a special payment so far. 33 percent of those surveyed stated that they were not planning any special payment at all - another third had not yet decided. This is the result of an exclusive special survey of 862 entrepreneurs, executives and civil servants as part of the LAE so-called "Decision Makers" survey.

In order to calm the public's displeasure and worries in view of high energy costs and dramatic inflation, the federal government has decided to allow employers a tax and duty-free special payment of up to 3000 euros. Employer representatives, however, immediately referred to the poor economic situation and warned that many companies could not cope with such special payments.

The results of the LAE survey now match this: According to this, ten percent of those surveyed stated that employees in their company should receive a special payment of less than 1000 euros this year. Another 11 percent named a range of 1,000 to 2,000 euros for a special payment and only 6 percent said their company would exhaust the full amount of 3,000 euros. The rules for the special payment now stipulate that the maximum amount of 3,000 euros can be paid in several installments up to 2024.

At the same time, a clear majority of respondents were in favor of granting additional state aid to companies hit by high energy prices - if necessary also through higher debts. 58 percent of those surveyed were in favor of suspending the debt brake anchored in the Basic Law again in 2023, should the state otherwise not have enough money available to help ailing companies. Only 28 percent of those surveyed stated that they would definitely comply with the debt brake again in 2023.

The views on the German nuclear power plants and the sanctions against Russia were unambiguous: 77 percent of those surveyed were in favor of maintaining the sanctions against Russia at the current level (35 percent) or even tightening them (42 percent). Only 18 percent were in favor of lifting the sanctions. With a view to the remaining three German nuclear power plants, 33 percent of those surveyed voted to keep the reactors running at least until 2024. 28 percent were in favor of restarting nuclear power plants that had already been shut down, and 23 percent were in favor of letting the already planned stretching operation run at least as long as possible.