ICELAND has just completed the world's largest pilot project trialing the four-day week, involving more than 2,000 workers. This experiment has proved successful, and has reignited the debate surrounding a measure that has long been advocated as a way of increasing employee wellbeing and productivity. But what's the state of affairs in other countries?
Working less, but better, by switching to a four-day week. The idea may not be new, but it has been in the news again in recent days, with all eyes on Iceland. This northern country has just unveiled the results of a large pilot study conducted between 2015 and 2019 among 1% of the Icelandic population. The idea was to propose a reduction in working hours to 35-36 hours a week while keeping the same salary.
This program was set up by the British and Icelandic think tanks Autonomy and the Association for Sustainability and Democracy (Alda), and involved 2,500 people living in Iceland and working in the public sector (schools, hospitals, social services, etc.).
Four years later, the experiment has proved largely successful, with the researchers who conducted the study reporting an increased rate of productivity and wellbeing among most of the workers who took part. The trial even had beneficial effects for the wider the population. According to the two think tanks behind the study, 86% of Iceland's working population was able to benefit from new agreements signed between 2019 and 2021, allowing for more flexible working and a reduction in hours.
Spain is following Iceland's lead
In light of these more-than-satisfactory results from the world's largest trial of the four-day week, there is every reason to be tempted. The idea has been discussed and debated for several decades. But how far have other countries gone to implement it?
While some companies around the world have been operating a four-day week for some time, no country has yet made it general practice at national level. However, the pandemic seems to have changed the situation. The idea came back to the forefront in Germany in 2020, for example, when several companies adopted a four-day week to avoid layoffs during the pandemic.
Spain, on the other hand, is following in Iceland's footsteps, and will launch a similar pilot project this fall, on the initiative of the left-wing party, Mas Pais. Although it is still in its early stages, it is already known that the project could involve 3,000 to 6,000 Spanish workers over a period of three years, and some €50 million in funding. About 200 companies are expected to participate, and an evaluation of productivity and employee wellbeing is scheduled to be carried out after one year.
The idea is also gaining traction in the United Kingdom. In 2020, various parties in the country (including the opposition Labour Party) signed a motion calling on the government to set up a commission to study the proposal.
As for France, the four-day week is far from widespread, although a law passed in 1996 allows companies to implement it. On the political scene, it is again on the left that the idea is advocated, notably by the MEP Pierre Larrouturou, founder of the Nouvelle Donne party and author of a 1999 book on the subject ("Pour la semaine de quatre jours" published by Éditions La Découverte).
However, several companies in France have been operating a four-day week for some time. These include Welcome To The Jungle (Paris), Yprema (Ile-de-France) and Love Radius (PACA) and, more recently, the IT group LDLC (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes).
ETX Studio
Sat Jul 10 2021
Iceland carried out the world's largest pilot project testing the four-day week. - ETX Studio
Langkah menoktahkan kemiskinan tegar di Sabah antara tumpuan Dewan Rakyat
Ahli Parlimen Kinabatangan, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin meminta Menteri Ekonomi menyatakan langkah tersebut pada sesi jawab lisan.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta pastikan kemampanan sektor air
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air.
[INFOGRAFIK] Tarikh-tarikh penting Istiadat Pertabalan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong ke-17
Berikut adalah info berkenaan dengan tarikh-tarikh penting Istiadat Pertabalan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong ke-17
Menendez didapati bersalah ke atas 16 pertuduhan rasuah
Juri di Mahkamah Persekutuan Manhattan membacakan keputusannya pada Selasa selepas berbincang selama lebih 12 jam selama tiga hari.
Tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram - CAP
CAP menggesa Lembaga Racun Makhluk Perosak segera mengambil tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram di negara ini dan menguatkuasakan dengan tegas Akta Racun Perosak 1974.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab dari segi kemahiran dan keupayaan sosial.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya, seperti mahkamah syariah, pegawai penguatkuasa agama dan peguam syarie.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari bukti hari ini
Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) akan menggerakkan unit skuba (Unit Forensik) serta Unit Anjing Pengesan (K9) ke lokasi penemuan mayat Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah, 25, di Kampung Sri Kledang, Hulu Selangor, pagi esok.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Hulu Selangor DSP Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus ketika dihubungi Bernama berkata proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Dewan Rakyat: Langkah meknoktahkan kemisikan tegar di Sabah antara tumpuan hari ini
Langkah-langkah untuk meknoktahkan kemiskinan tegar di Sabah terutamanya di lapan daerah yang dikategorikan termiskin di Malaysia antara tumpuan persidangan Dewan Rakyat hari ini.
Letusan gunung berapi Iceland boleh berlanjutan selama puluhan tahun - Saintis
Siri letusan gunung berapi terbaharu di Iceland boleh berlarutan selama puluhan bahkan ratusan tahun, menurut kajian yang diterbitkan jurnal Terra Nova pada Rabu.
Pengundi Iceland pilih Presiden baharu, bekas Perdana Menteri turut bertanding
Penyandang yang sangat popular, Gudni Johannesson, tidak bertanding semula selepas dua penggal memegang jawatan presiden.
Euro 2024: Ukraine sah layak selepas hambat Iceland
Pemain Chelsea, Mykhailo Mudryk adalah wira perlawanan untuk Ukraine.
Letusan gunung berapi cetus langkah kecemasan di Iceland
Letusan itu bermula pada 10.17 malam waktu tempatan (2217 GMT) susulan gempa bumi kira-kira 9 malam (2100 GMT) pada Isnin.
PM Iceland akan sertai mogok tuntut kesamarataan jantina
Wanita di seluruh Iceland pada Selasa melancarkan mogok menuntut kesamarataan jantina, protes pertama seumpamanya dalam tempoh hampir setengah abad, lapor Agensi Berita Jerman (dpa).
AWANI-RareTV: Misteri Jalan F ke Landmannalaugar, Iceland
Tidak ramai pengunjung yang kenal malah sukar untuk mengeja dengan betul pada kali pertama destinasi bernama Landmannalaugar ini.
Gunung berapi meletus di Iceland
Letusan di Semenanjung Reykjanes berhampiran ibu negara Reykjavik berlaku kira-kira 16.40 waktu tempatan pada Isnin.
Teroka destinasi baharu, RareTV lancar misi kembara Artik
Rare TV yang dimulakan pada tahun 2020 kini telah mendapat langganan kira-kira suku juta pengikut.
Finland negara paling gembira sekali lagi
Laporan Kegembiraan Dunia mendapati Finland negara paling gembira di dunia diikuti Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland dan Belanda.
Maguire digugurkan skuad England selepas didapati bersalah
Pasukan pembelaan menuduh anggota polis melakukan kekejaman dan tidak melakukan tugas mereka dengan betul.