To enhance the quality of the lives of Belgium workers, the European country previously announced that thousands of federal civil servants will no longer have to answer calls or emails from their bosses outside of working hours. Around 65,000 government workers earned “the right to disconnect," in hopes of leading a better work-life balance.
Now, in another employee-empowerment policy, workers in Belgium will be entitled to a four-day workweek. The reform package agreed by the country's multi-party coalition government will also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours without fear of reprisal.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo told a press conference announcing the reform package,"We have experienced two difficult years. With this agreement, we set a beacon for an economy that is more innovative, sustainable and digital. The aim is to be able to make people and businesses stronger." Belgian labor minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne said that the decision resides with the worker, “This has to be done at the request of the employee, with the employer giving solid reasons for any refusal."
Employees would be able to request a four-day workweek for a trial six-month period. If they so desire, they can stay with the shortened workweek or decide to opt out. The abbreviated workweek is somewhat different compared to what other countries and companies have enacted. The countries and businesses stripped away one day of the workweek without making people put in more hours during the other four days.
Belgium’s program would condense the current five-day week into four days. In practice, this means maintaining a 38-hour working week, with an additional day off compensating for longer work days. Employees would work longer hours each of the four days.
In addition to Belgium, here are other countries that are piloting a four-day workweek:
Scotland
Scotland has previously launched a trial four-day workweek. The decision was the culmination of a campaign promise made by the ruling Scottish National Party. Workers will have their hours reduced by 20%, but won’t suffer any loss in compensation. The program will be funded by the SNP with a £10 million fund ($13.8 million U.S.). The monies will be used to experiment with the abbreviated workweek. Some Scottish businesses have already started their own truncated workweeks.
Spain
Spain had announced that it would run a trial four-day workweek. The Spanish government agreed to a 32-hour workweek over three years without cutting workers’ compensation. The pilot program, similar to what Scotland is doing, intends to reduce employers’ risk by having the government make up the difference in salary when workers switch to a four-day schedule.
Japan
Japan is following Spain’s lead. The country is considering implementing a four-day workweek. The government of Japan is leading the charge. It's somewhat surprising given Japan’s hustle-porn work culture, which is as bad or worse than America’s propensity to work incredibly long hours with little or no vacation time. The strenuously long hours that salarymen put in led to death by overwork. It's so commonplace that Japan has a term for it—“karōshi.”
Microsoft Japan previously tried a shorter workweek program called “Work-Life Choice Challenge 2019 Summer.” The company gave its 2,300 employees the opportunity to “choose a variety of flexible work styles, according to the circumstances of work and life.” The goal of management was to see if there would be a corresponding increase in productivity and morale when hours are cut down. The results of the experiment were extremely positive, indicative that workers were both happier and 40% more productive.
Iceland
Scotland pointed to Iceland and its strong results as a big reason for taking a chance with the four-day workweek. A recent study of 2,500 workers in Iceland, more than 1% of the workforce, was conducted to see if shortened work days lead to more productivity and a happier workforce. The trials were made across an array of different types of workplaces.
Between 2015 and 2019, Iceland conducted test cases of 35 to 36-hour workweeks, without any calls for a commensurate cut in pay. To ensure quality control, the results were analyzed by Autonomy and the Association for Sustainability and Democracy. Based upon the stellar results, Icelandic trade unions negotiated for a reduction in working hours. The study also led to a significant change in Iceland, nearly 90% of the working population now have reduced hours or other accommodations. Worker stress and burnout lessened. There was an improvement in work-life balance.
The United Arab Emirates
The UAE started 2022 as the first nation in the world to adopt a four-and-a-half-day workweek. “All federal government entities in the country will operate four-and-a-half days per week, with the weekend starting midday Friday and lasting through Sunday.” The work hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 am to noon on Friday.
New Four-Day Workweek Bill Brought To Congress
Democratic Congressman Mark Takano introduced legislation that would reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours. Takano said in a press release, “A shorter workweek would benefit both employers and employees alike.” Takano added, “Pilot programs run by governments and businesses across the globe have shown promising results, as productivity climbed and workers reported better work-life balance, less need to take sick days, heightened morale and lower childcare expenses because they had more time with their family and children.”
The congressman said, “Shorter workweeks have also been shown to further reduce healthcare premiums for employers, lower operational costs for businesses and have a positive environmental impact in some of these studies.” Takano asserts that the workers would benefit from this change, as his proposal will allow nonexempt employees to receive overtime compensation for any hours worked over 32 hours. A shortened workweek would go a long way in helping people lead a better balance of work and life.
"four" - Google News
February 15, 2022 at 10:34PM
https://ift.tt/ji7DNra
Belgium Is The Latest Country To Join The Four-Day Workweek - Forbes
"four" - Google News
https://ift.tt/hZiO4cp
https://ift.tt/gimPRzD
No comments:
Post a Comment