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I worked in various places in Northern Germany a few years ago, close to the Danish border. Some businesses and most federal and state-related institutions would stop working at noon on Fridays. I was told it was to alleviate the pressure on the trains and Autobahn. This would make sense, especially given the fact that a very important military population was stationed there during the cold war and the railways and roads were a mess (and probably still are).

I don't know if it's true, nobody concerned would ever come to the stupid idea of questioning this nice practice.

Some companies do this in Spain too, especially in the summer.

Likewise in Sweden, but it's a minority of companies I'd say.

It isn't.