Four-day week
There are experiments with duration of the working week such as "21-hour week", "three-day weekend," "six-hour day," and others, where the official minimum working time is reduced and employees go to work or students go to school for four days a week instead of the usual five days a week. This distribution of working hours can be referred to as flexible working hours. It is pointed out that workers who work one day less get extra time for hobbies, family interaction, sleep and recovery, which should have a positive effect on their productivity. In addition, operation and environmental costs are reduced, because the workplace or school is used one day less.
A decrease in the required duration of working time can lead to an increase in labor productivity, the emergence of new jobs (due to shift work) and accelerated technological development for the necessary automation of tasks that can be transferred to robots. Also, there is the idea of getting possible environmental benefits, such as reducing vehicle emissions and diminishing energy costs in the workplace.
In order to include this practice in life, it is necessary to engage the government in adopting an appropriate legislation.
A decrease in the required duration of working time can lead to an increase in labor productivity, the emergence of new jobs (due to shift work) and accelerated technological development for the necessary automation of tasks that can be transferred to robots. Also, there is the idea of getting possible environmental benefits, such as reducing vehicle emissions and diminishing energy costs in the workplace.
In order to include this practice in life, it is necessary to engage the government in adopting an appropriate legislation.
Universal Problem
Labor is necessary for survival and economic prosperity, but it is exhausting and causes health problems (especially the ones caused by stress), also it does not leave people time to engage in "non-work" activities: self-development, communication, hobbies.
Solution
A cut in the official minimum working hours per week and redistribution of work among a larger number of labor market participants.
Target Image
In the future, a person will not overextend himself\herself, but will work for pleasure and devote time to loved ones or to development of his own projects. More people will be employed and receive decent and sufficient pay for their work. People will be satisfied, they will feel healthier and less nervous, and social anxiety will be reduced.
Experiment Framework
Successful experiments took place before and are still being carried out both at the state and company level. In France, the official working week has been 35 hours since 2000 (although in reality it is not limited to this, and the results of the program are mixed). In this case, the change was made on the legislative level. In 2017, BaseCamp experimented with a 32-hour workweek without productivity losses. In 2018, New Zealand-based Perpetual Guardian implemented a 32-hour workweek without loss of pay, and German metalworkers' union IG Metall won the right to a 28-hour workweek. In 2019, Microsoft Japan introduced a 4-day work week, resulting in increased productivity. You can read about other examples in this area here. These experiments also have political weight. In addition to the French legislation introduced by the socialists in 2000, the British Green Party advocated the introduction of three days off in 2017.
Tools and Technologies
- State budgeting instruments, resource allocation
- Legislative and legal instruments of regulation
- Transition to remote office system can reduce working hours by the hours spent on getting to and from work
Scaling Plans
Despite the fact that in some cases a shortened week shows good results and is economically beneficial, the practice is not applicable to the entirety of areas of employment. For example, medicine will always require employment for 24/7, and it is not possible to transfer specialists in this field to a shorter week. In addition, within the framework of a growth economy, a shorter working week will likely lead to a decrease in the competitiveness of businesses and countries in the market and aggravation of economic problems.
Standards and Values
- Social fairness
- Self-realization
- Freedom and lack of exploitation of man by man
Community
- New Economics Foundation is a british analytical center which explores and develops a new model of wealth generation based on equality, diversity and economic stability
- 4daysweek is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading the idea of a shorter working week
Allies
- BIEN is an information portal about basic universal income
- Degrowth is a concept, based on the need to reduce economic growth for the public welfare
