Belgium, the UK, Iceland, as well as Canada, the US and the UAE. Kazakhstan joins the list of these countries from July. Their governments or individual companies offer their employees to move to a four-day workweek instead of the usual five-day workweek. While some have found the experiment successful and beneficial, others have faced unpredictable consequences.
From the beginning of July, i.e. in a few days’ time, a new timetable for employees in Kazakhstan will be introduced. It will be of a rotational nature. That is, one week you will have to work 5 days a week, and the other week only 4 days. Such a regime is not yet mandatory in the country and is introduced by agreement of the parties. A company may implement it if its production process allows it. It is assumed, that the four-day system will not affect the employee’s leave and length of service. And Sunday is sacred, it always remains a day off. The second or third day off is set in the collective agreement or in the work rules.
In 2014, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) proposed, that all countries adopt a four-day working week. Among the arguments is that such a regime increases worker satisfaction and, as a consequence, productivity. It would also improve public health, since many diseases in today’s world are caused by overwork, constant office hours and stress. And finally, one of the most compelling pros is that giving up a day’s work will have a positive impact on the environment.
The experiment with a four-day working week in Iceland, which ran from 2016 to 2019, ended with “astonishing success”. Workers, who took part in the study, worked 35-36 hours a week. At the end of the experiment, they “improved in a number of ways”. For example, they coped better with stress, were less prone to burnout and their health improved. They also had a better work-life balance.
UK companies, which conducted a six-month experiment with a four-day working week, now plan to make it permanent. It found the experience to be “hugely successful”. The vast majority – around 92 per cent – of companies taking part in the study decided to retain the four-day week policy after the trial period ended, calling the pilot a “major breakthrough”. As part of the pilot, employees had to follow a “100:80:100 model” – 100 per cent pay for 80 per cent of the time in exchange for a commitment to maintain productivity at all 100 per cent.
In Scotland, the programme will also start in 2023. The decision has become a leitmotif of the ruling Scottish National Party’s (SNP) election promises. Workers will reduce their working hours by 20 per cent, but will suffer no loss of pay. The SNP is promising about £10 million of budget support for participating companies.
In February last year, workers in Belgium were entitled to spend a full working week in four days instead of the usual five without loss of pay. The week is a day shorter and the number of hours worked is the same. However, this prospect does not appeal to everyone. Some full-time employees will have to work too long if they decide to shorten their working week, while shift workers have no such option at all
92 per cent of US workers are in favour of a shorter working week, even if it means longer working hours. The workers surveyed cited better mental health and increased productivity as perceived benefits. Three out of four workers (74%) say they could do the same amount of work in four days.
In Canada, a survey found that 41% of Canadian employers are considering alternative hybrid schedules and new work styles in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey of 1,000 employers found, that half of large companies with 500 or more employees “are likely to implement a 4-day work week. Sixty-three per cent of medium-sized organisations with 100-500 employees are also willing to use a shorter working week.
In Ukraine last year, an IT company announced an official move to a 4-day workweek to boost the motivation of its employees. The company explained, that such a decision would help specialists not to burn out at work, be more efficient during working days, and would also help attract more specialists. The first results of this work format were positive: the employees became more organised and motivated, and their productivity did not decrease.
According to the survey, 71.3% of Ukrainian employers are ready to switch to a four-day working week in their companies as an experiment. However, the Economics Ministry believes, that if they reduce working hours but keep salaries at the same level, it may lead to a drop in the volume of work or services provided by companies. Consequently, fewer payments will be made to budgets and social insurance funds.
The United Arab Emirates was the first country in the world to officially introduce a shorter workweek. The Gambia introduced a four-day working week for civil servants back in 2013.
