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4 day week, the countries that applied it. What is seen as an advantage? Will it be applied permanently?

2024-02-09 11:20:21Biznes SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

4 day week, the countries that applied it. What is seen as an advantage? Will it

Germany is the latest test site for a four-day work week with a new pilot project involving 45 companies starting this month. Conversations about the four-day work week were first sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, with employees and employers rethinking the importance of flexibility and benefits in the workplace.

The idea is simple, employees would work four days a week while being paid the same and receiving the same benefits, but with the same workload. Therefore, companies that reduce their work week will operate with fewer meetings and more freelance work. Unions across Europe are calling on governments to implement the four-day working week, but which countries have embraced the idea and how is it going so far?

Belgium became the first country in Europe to pass laws for a four-day week. In February 2022, Belgian workers gained the right to complete a full work week in four days instead of the usual five without loss of pay. The new law came into effect on November 21 last year, allowing employees to decide whether to work four or five days a week.

As of February 1, 45 companies in Germany began testing the 4-day work week in an experiment that will last a total of six months. According to a survey, 71% of working people in Germany would like only four days a week. Whether such a measure will be implemented, discussed at the national level, or legislated by the government, remains to be seen.

Following the success of other trial programs on the continent, Portugal has taken the plunge and joined a growing list of countries dealing with the concept of a four-day week. 39 private companies have registered to participate in this initiative. Participating companies are expected to follow the wage model 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain at least 100% productivity.

UK companies that ran a six-month trial of the four-day working week are now planning to make it permanent after deeming the experiment "extremely successful". Some 61 UK companies and more than 3,300 employees signed up for the programme. A large majority, about 92% of the participating companies decided to keep the four-day week policy.

Scotland took a cue from Iceland and its strong results as a big reason to take a chance on the four-day working week. In Sweden, a four-day work week with full pay was tested as early as 2015 with mixed results.

In other countries like Japan, it's the biggest companies that are entering this territory, after the government announced in 2021 a plan to achieve a better work-life balance across the country. There are several reasons this could be good for the country, where death from overwork claims many lives.

In 2019, tech giant Microsoft experimented with the model by offering employees three-day weekends for a month. The move increased productivity by 40 percent and resulted in more efficient work. According to a survey by cloud software vendor Qualtrics, 92% of American workers are in favor of shortening the work week even if it means working longer hours.

In Canada, research from global employment agency Indeed found that 41% of Canadian employers are considering alternative hybrid schedules and new work styles following the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the four-day work week seems to be slowly but surely gaining traction across the globe, but whether governments will ultimately embrace the idea remains to be seen.


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