459/20. "The main fallacy on longer work week is to assume a linear relationship between the amount of time worked and the productivity of an employee," Thomas Roulet, a … We’d all have more time to participate in local activities, to find out what’s … Working longer hours doesn’t necessarily mean a better quality of work and happier, more fulfilled employees. Denmark employees clock around 33 hours a week while Italian workers usually log 36-hour workweeks. The idea of a four-day work week has been gaining momentum as of late, but plenty of questions remain on how that would impact the economy. Employee pay will be unaffected. In accordance with the Pathway to Change Agreement we have agreed that for MDEC the SWW will be implemented from Monday 1 st May and the deployment of this will be undertaken via local discussions to determine how best to reduce the hour. As well as bringing down the cost of childcare, working fewer hours would give parents more time to spend with their children. Latest episode of our award winning podcast - subscribe on iTunes! If handled properly, a move towards a shorter working week would improve social and economic equality, easing our dependence on debt-fuelled growth – key ingredients of a robust economy. Positive News editors select the week’s top stories of progress, bringing you the essential briefing about what's going right in the world. This is not a distant prospect – the Communication Workers Union has agreed a shorter working week in Royal Mail, one of the biggest employers in the country, which aims to take three hours off the working week thousands of postmen and women by the end of 2020. Those who work less tend to be more productive hour-for-hour than those regularly pushing themselves beyond the 40 hours per week point. A stronger democracy: We’d all have more time to participate in local activities, to find out what’s … NEF CEO Miatta Fahnbulleh on BBC Radio London, Had pre-1980 trend in rising leisure time continued, UK workers would be working half a day less than they do today, The shorter working week is a matter of social justice. Spending less time in paid work would enable us to spend more time with and care for each other – our parents, children, friends and neighbours – and to value and strengthen all the relationships that make our lives worthwhile and help to build a stronger society. Could working less even slow climate change? Consuming less starts with working less — or, better yet, with consuming our prosperity in the form of leisure. https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/freedom-burden-shortened-work-week European Network for the Fair Sharing of Working Time. The pandemic has seen a mindset shift around work-life balance – and not just for employees. They shifted to the shorter work week on the 1st of December, 1930. Last week the National Postal Officers seized the first opportunity to call together Senior Field Officials and Postal Executive members in a carefully planned legally compliant face-to-face briefing to update them on the … Shifting suddenly from long hours to no hours of paid work can be traumatic, often causing illness and early death. “It’s an idea whose time has come.”. This sounds crazy, but it rests on peer-reviewed research into shorter work … LTB 459/20 – JOINT STATEMENT – PAY AND SHORTER WORKING WEEK. As in, put in 33 hours a week instead of 40. “But for many, there is a clear distinction between what’s work and the rest of life. it would experiment with a four-day working week in New Zealand, Revealed: the best companies to work for (and how to get a job with them), Starting up against the odds: five progressive businesses launched during lockdown, ‘Essential leaders’: why empowering women is key to tackling the climate crisis. The Great Depression gave the company the perfect opportunity to experiment with the idea. Dear Colleagues, JOINT STATEMENT – PAY AND SHORTER WORKING WEEK. In fact, according to a 2017. of a six-hour working day in Sweden, the opposite is true. This position only applies to Farnworth & Plymouth as Stoke do not have any full-time … Women currently spend more time than men doing unpaid work. Or work six-hour days instead of eight-hour days. “I think we need to work less in certain jobs in order to do more of what matters and what is meaningful and important to society.”, Working more doesn’t make you more productive, studies suggest. Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company, announced in November that it would experiment with a four-day working week in New Zealand. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Countries with a shorter workweek have a smaller ecological footprint. Despite failing to convince everyone, those behind the Swedish trial claimed that its benefits outweighed the costs. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. “Social attitudes support … Average working hours may have spiralled, but they are not spread equally across our economy – just as some find themselves working all hours of the day and night, others struggle to find work at all. Flexibility is something many employees won’t want to give up, resulting in a boost in employee loyalty. If you’ve got a full-time job, chances are you’re working eight hours or more a day, probably Monday to Friday. Positive News in an earlier interview. There are predictions that in future rapid technological development could result in a significant shortage of paid work. As a nation, the UK is currently consuming well beyond its share of natural resource. Under the EU Working Time Directive, staff cannot work more than 48 hours a week averaged out over 17 weeks. It would help us all to reflect on and appreciate the things that we truly value in life. We map local projects building a more democratic economy and the policies to make this happen. The trial was hailed as a success. We are pleased to be part of an alliance building a new consensus that more free time is an ambition to bake into the rules of the economy – working with trade unions, researchers and campaigners in the UK and across Europe. A shorter working week would help to redistribute paid and unpaid time more evenly across the population. A shorter work week is possible, but will it catch on in Canada? European countries have followed a shorter work schedule for decades. So what can be learned from these extremes? Employers are now experimenting with shorter work schedules to see if happier employees are in fact better employees. We’d all have more time to participate in local activities, to find out what’s going on around us, to engage in politics, locally and nationally, to ask questions and to campaign for change. The four-day working week is poised to become a reality for employees at some firms in Spain, after the government there. agreed to launch a pilot project for companies that are interested in experimenting with the idea. During the Second World War, the company made the switch to a 48-hour work week with the promise of reverting to the six-hour shift … Working fewer hours doesn’t necessarily equate to a reduction in productivity. A Shorter Working Week The next fight laid before workers of the 21st century is to demand a further expansion of freedom in the form of a four-day working week. A shorter working week can be a key part of a new strategy that focuses on putting democracy, communities and the environment at the core of its political strategy. A shorter work week is attractive to employees and provides them with lots of flexibility. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In fact, according to a 2017 trial of a six-hour working day in Sweden, the opposite is true. “But for many, there is a clear distinction between what’s work and the rest of life. A possible option currently debated by academics, policy makers, trade unions, employers and mass media, is a shorter working week for everyone. Public support for a shorter working week is on the increase as a result of automation and the changing way that work is being valued following on from the Coronovirus lockdown. A radical shorter work week goes further than asking whether we can cut hours without cutting profits. Uplift your inbox every Saturday morning with our newsletter. History shows us that when people come together they can reduce the working week in order to provide more time for life – indeed that was how the weekend and the eight-hour day was won. “For some of us, the line is blurred between work and what we love, so our lives wouldn’t change much,” he told Positive News in an earlier interview. Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand-based estate planning firm, trialed a four-day workweek for two months with no changes to compensation. While some have to work overtime others are struggling to find work. Copyright © Positive News. The most progressive shorter work week entails no salary reductions. This is an update of an article originally published on 19 April 2017. Flexibility may be a huge benefit that appeals to a higher quality of staff when searching for from an employer. Details of the trial are still being fleshed out, including how many firms will be involved and how long the trial will last. Even business mogul Richard Branson supports the shift to a shorter ... we also have evidence from another study that overall productivity peaks at 25-30 hours per week … Image: Guy Bowden. Dutch author and journalist Rutger Bregman is among those advocating a shorter working week. Working less would help us all move away from the current path of living to work, working to earn and earning to consume. They are less prone to sickness and absenteeism and make up a more stable and committed workforce. Join NEF alongside an international line up of speakers for the launch of The Case for a Four Day Week, Reducing working hours in manufacturing: a review of evidence, Aidan Harper, Alice Martin, Lukasz Krebel. Perhaps try a short trial run for a couple of months to ascertain how it works out for you. However, the government is reportedly considering covering the costs that are incurred by participating firms (if there are any) as they switch to a shorter working week. The high demand for childcare stems partly from a culture of long working hours which has spiralled out of control. [23:10] How working flexibly in busy and unpredictable workplaces can interact with a shorter working week. Daniel Bernmar, a politician who helped bring about the experiment at a retirement home in Gothenburg, told Positive News that the results presented “the complete opposite narrative of the need to work more and to work harder”. The idea of shorter working time and the proven benefits it can bring to productivity, work life balance, diversity and equality is back in fashion. It could be debated that the more common, compressed 9/80 or 4/10 schedules also provide flexibility. Countries with shorter working weeks have smaller ecological footprints, according to NEF. A new book argues that shorter working time should be at the heart of post-pandemic recovery. Terms and conditions  •  Privacy and cookies  •  RSS. Winning shorter working hours without a loss in pay offers a way to tackle symptoms of overwork, providing people with more time to recuperate, participate in democratic process and fulfil caring responsibilities. This opportunity for more activities, experiences and two-way teaching and learning would have benefits for mothers and fathers, as well as their children. Case 1: Successful Trial. The Monday to Friday working week we inhabit today is a social and historical construct. Working fewer hours doesn’t necessarily equate to a reduction in productivity. [21:36] How the approach to shorter working weeks can differ depending on sector. Winning shorter working hours without a loss in pay offers a way to tackle symptoms of overwork, providing people with more time to recuperate, participate in democratic process and fulfil caring responsibilities. Shorter Working Week to be Implemented from 1 st May. McDonnell said that due in large part to the efforts of trade unions, the average full-time working week had fallen from 65 hours in the 1860s to 43 hours in the 1970s. Moving towards a shorter working week as the ‘norm’ would help change attitudes about gender roles, promote more equal shares of paid and unpaid work, and help revalue jobs traditionally associated with women’s work. https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/benefits-of-a-shorter-work-week Moving out of the fast lane would take us away from the convenience-led consumption that is damaging our environment, and leave time for living more sustainably. But the automation of work, awareness of the environmental impact of work and the growing movement for shorter work weeks mean that many … No. “For some of us, the line is blurred between work and what we love, so our lives wouldn’t change much,” he. Staff there will remain on the same pay as part of the year-long trial. Or work a compressed schedule that allows for three-day weekends. Despite failing to convince everyone, those behind the Swedish trial claimed that its benefits outweighed the costs. A stronger democracy. In particular, it would improve unemployment rates, as most working hours are not spread equally. In Time On Our Side: Why we all need a shorter working week, Anna Coote quotes from a Kuwaiti man, Qaiss Dashti, who works for the UN. There is no natural law determining the amount of time we spend in work. All rights reserved. © NEF 2021  •  Registered charity 1055254 A shorter and more flexible working week could make the transition from employment to retirement much smoother, spread over a longer period of time. The four-day working week is poised to become a reality for employees at some firms in Spain, after the government there agreed to launch a pilot project for companies that are interested in experimenting with the idea. Search News. The case for a shorter work week. Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company, announced in November that, Dutch author and journalist Rutger Bregman is among those advocating a shorter working week. As Spain flirts with a four-day week, we look at the benefits of working less, from strengthening families to improving gender equality. Today, arguments around reducing working time have come roaring back. A shorter working week can help reduce unemployment and unlock numerous jobs for those without jobs, further cutting employment levels, which were last recorded at 3.8% for the period between September and November 2019. We are grateful for support from the Communication Workers Union, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and European Network for a Fairer Sharing of Time. The New Economics Foundation (NEF) has long supported the concept of shorter working weeks. Automation has injected the debate with a new urgency. “With the four-day work week (32 hours), we’re launching into the real debate of our times,” said Iñigo Errejón of the leftwing Más País party, which proposed the idea. It would be competitive, too: the Netherlands and Germany have shorter work weeks than Britain and the US, yet their economies are as strong or stronger. To reduce working hours without affecting workers’ pay, Skidelsky proposed a sector-by-sector approach. Here are some of Schieman's concerns about a shorter, more leisurely, work week: Shorter week means longer hours "If the work still needs to be done, it just means longer hours," Schieman said. A shorter working week would help mothers and fathers better balance their time, reducing the costs of full-time childcare. “In the month of Ramadan in the Middle East all companies reduce the working hours from eight hours to five hours for 30 days, and surprisingly we all finish our work like it’s an eight hour work day. If you have an employee asking about working a shorter week but contributing the same hours, it certainly may be worth consideration to maintain balance. People could reduce their hours gradually over a decade or more. The pandemic has seen a mindset shift around work-life balance – and not just for employees. They reduced the workday to six hours while simultaneously giving the workers a 12.5% hourly raise. Surprisingly, shorter working week may be instrumental in improving social and economic equality. NEF's consultancy arm, helping organisations move towards a new sustainable economy. An annual ranking of organisations has revealed the best purpose-led companies to work for in 2021 – and most have vacancies, While Covid-19 delivered a blow to many companies, for some socially progressive startups it has provided a launchpad, Women are more likely to be impacted by the climate emergency than men – and they may also be our best hope in solving it, Get Positive News stories in your inbox each week, Yes, I'd like to receive the weekly newsletter by email in accordance with the. In 1931 the International Association for Social Progress decided to undertake an enquiry concerning the effects of a shorter working week on unemployment Countries with shorter average hours tend to have a smaller ecological footprint. Everybody wins! June 9, 2020, 5:46 p.m. Giving everybody more time to spend as they choose would greatly reduce stress levels and improve overall wellbeing, as well as mental and physical health. Here, principal fellow at the thinktank, Anna Coote, suggests 10 reasons why it could be good for society. [26:00] How flexible working helps diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Turns out, yes. Reducing the time we spend at work to provide more time for life. Image: Campaign Creators. [25:40] Figuring out the best way to make a flexible working request at work. 21 st September 2020. A shorter work week can be considered ‘a multiple dividend policy, contributing to enhanced quality of life and lower unemployment as well as emissions mitigation’ (Fitzgerald et al., 2018). A worldwide shift to a shorter workweek could cut the CO2 emitted this century by half. shorter working hours without a loss in pay offers a way to tackle symptoms of overwork, providing people with more time to recuperate, participate in democratic process and fulfil caring responsibilities Potentially, a 4-day workweek will aid in redistribution of paid time across the population, if handled properly. 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