Unser Arbeitgeber sagt, die Nachtschicht sei freiwillig, aber viele fühlen sich trotzdem unter Druck.

Our employer says the night shift is voluntary, but many still feel under pressure.

Breakdown of Unser Arbeitgeber sagt, die Nachtschicht sei freiwillig, aber viele fühlen sich trotzdem unter Druck.

• sein: to be
• aber: but
• unser: our
• viele: many
• fühlen: to feel
• unter: under
• sagen: to say
• der Druck: the pressure
• sich: themselves
• trotzdem: still
• freiwillig: voluntary
• der Arbeitgeber: the employer
• die Nachtschicht: the night shift

Questions & Answers about Unser Arbeitgeber sagt, die Nachtschicht sei freiwillig, aber viele fühlen sich trotzdem unter Druck.

Why does it say sei instead of ist?

sei is Konjunktiv I (reported speech). It signals that the speaker is reporting what the employer says, without necessarily endorsing it as fact.

• Direct: Unser Arbeitgeber sagt: „Die Nachtschicht ist freiwillig.“
• Reported: Unser Arbeitgeber sagt, die Nachtschicht sei freiwillig.
  In everyday speech people sometimes use ist anyway, but sei is standard in more formal/written German for reported statements.

Why is there a comma after sagt?

Because what follows is a subordinate clause (a reported-speech clause) introduced without dass. German typically sets off such clauses with a comma:
Unser Arbeitgeber sagt, …
You could also write: Unser Arbeitgeber sagt, dass die Nachtschicht freiwillig ist. (comma still required)

Why isn’t dass used here?

German often omits dass after verbs like sagen, glauben, meinen, finden—especially in written style—when the meaning is clear. Omitting dass often goes together with Konjunktiv I in reported speech:

• With dass (more neutral): … sagt, dass die Nachtschicht freiwillig ist.
• Without dass (often more “reporting”): … sagt, die Nachtschicht sei freiwillig.

What case is unser Arbeitgeber and why?

It’s nominative, because it’s the subject of sagt (the employer is doing the saying).
unser changes with case/gender/number: unser Arbeitgeber (masc., nominative singular).

Why is Nachtschicht feminine, and does that affect anything?

die Schicht is feminine, so compounds keep that gender: die Nachtschicht.
That affects articles and pronouns, e.g. die Nachtschicht, and in a dass-clause you’d still say die Nachtschicht ist freiwillig (the gender doesn’t change the verb).

How does word order work in … die Nachtschicht sei freiwillig?

It’s a subordinate clause (reported content), so the finite verb goes to the end: … die Nachtschicht … sei.
Within that clause:

• subject: die Nachtschicht
• verb: sei (at the end)
• complement/adjective: freiwillig (before the verb)

Is freiwillig an adjective or an adverb here?

It’s a predicate adjective (used with a “to be” verb). It describes die Nachtschicht: the night shift is voluntary. German predicate adjectives don’t take endings: freiwillig (not freiwillige).

What’s going on with aber and the comma before it?

aber connects two independent clauses: 1) Unser Arbeitgeber sagt, … freiwillig,
2) aber viele fühlen sich trotzdem unter Druck.
German usually uses a comma before coordinating conjunctions like aber when they connect full clauses.

Why does it say viele and not vielen?

viele is the subject of fühlen, so it’s nominative. With no noun after it, viele functions like “many (people)”.
If it were an object you might see viele in another case, depending on the verb/preposition.

What does sich fühlen mean, and why is sich there?

sich fühlen is a reflexive verb meaning to feel (oneself), to feel in a state/condition. The reflexive pronoun is required:

• Ich fühle mich müde. (I feel tired.)
• Viele fühlen sich unter Druck. (Many feel under pressure.)
  Here it’s sich because the subject is viele (3rd person plural).

Why is it unter Druck and not something like an adjective?

unter Druck is a fixed idiomatic phrase meaning under pressure. German commonly expresses certain states with prepositional phrases:

• unter Druck (under pressure)
• in Gefahr (in danger)
• im Recht (in the right)

What does trotzdem do in the sentence, and where can it go?

trotzdem means nevertheless / still and signals contrast with the previous clause (even though it’s “voluntary”, people still feel pressured).
Its position is flexible, but it often sits in the “middle field” or near the start:

• … aber viele fühlen sich trotzdem unter Druck.
• … aber trotzdem fühlen sich viele unter Druck. (also possible; emphasis changes slightly)

Could the second part be phrased differently, and would the word order change?

Yes. For emphasis, you can front different elements (German allows this as long as the verb stays second in the main clause):

• Neutral: aber viele fühlen sich trotzdem unter Druck.
• Emphasis on contrast: aber trotzdem fühlen sich viele unter Druck.
• Emphasis on “pressure”: aber unter Druck fühlen sich trotzdem viele. (more marked/stylistic)

Is the tense “present,” and does it refer to the present time?

Yes, both finite verbs are present tense: sagt and fühlen (and sei is present Konjunktiv I). Present tense in German can refer to “now” or to a general/repeated situation, which fits this sentence (a general workplace situation).