Spain to Become First Country to Test a 4-Day Workweek
Spain will become the first country to test out a four-day workweek consisting of only 32 hours on the job.
Per The Guardian, Más País, a small leftwing political party in Spain whose name translates to English as meaning “More Country,” announced the country’s government has accepted their proposal to test the four-day workweek.
The Guardian reports party member Iñigo Errejón shared on Twitter, “With the four-day workweek (32 hours), we’re launching into the real debate of our times. It’s an idea whose time has come.”
Con la jornada de 4 días (32h.) hemos abierto un auténtico debate de época. Eso siempre despierta polémicas, porque abre brecha. ¿De qué otra cosa más importante tiene que ocuparse la política que del tiempo de vida? pic.twitter.com/2WhWMEzTkc
— Íñigo Errejón (@ierrejon) February 6, 2021
The Guardian notes, “While the exact details of the pilot will be hashed out with the government, [Más País] has proposed a three-year, €50m project that would allow companies to trial reduced hours with minimal risk. The costs of a company’s foray into the four-day work week, for example, could be covered at 100% the first year, 50% the second year and 33% the third year.”
Work-life balance has been a top-of-mind topic for years in professional circles, with the concept of a four-day workweek becoming more and more popular. The Guardian also included in its report a mention of Software Delsol, a software development company based in Spain that adopted the four-day workweek last year. Más País party member Héctor Tejero noted the company “…saw a reduction in absenteeism, productivity went up and workers say they are happier.”
