Four-Day Work Week: Germany’s economy has slowed down and people’s productivity is also decreasing, in view of which the labor organizations there have given some suggestions to the government. Based on these suggestions, Germany is going to start a trial of working four days a week.
Four-Day Work Week: On one hand, there is a debate in India about working 70 hours a week. At the same time, in Germany there is talk of reducing the working days from five to four days. Germany is going to try the formula of working four days a week for 6 months from February 1. Based on the results obtained from this, the government will take further decisions.
According to reports, Germany’s economy is currently sluggish, inflation has increased and there is a shortage of skilled workers. In view of this, labor organizations have suggested to the government that employees should be provided a healthy and happy environment so that they can utilize their full potential. The German government has taken this big decision on the suggestion of labor organizations.
The trial of 6 months of working 4 days a week will start from February 1 in which 45 companies will participate. The responsibility of this trial has been entrusted to New Zealand based non-profit company 4 Day Week Global.
According to the Federal Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, in the year 2022, Germans will not be able to work an average of 21.3 days a year, causing a loss of 207 billion euros (approximately Rs 1,86,55,87,26,60,900). Bloomberg had said in one of its reports that employees who are unhappy with overwork do not concentrate on their work, due to which the global economy suffered a loss of 1 trillion euros in the year 2023.
What will be the effect on salary by reducing working hours?
4 Day Week Global, the company which started the trial of 4 day work in Germany, says that during the trial period, the working hours of the employees will be less than before but there will be no cut in their salary. This trial will be considered successful only if the result is equal to or more than that of working for 5 days.
It is believed that working for 4 days will not only increase productivity but the employees will also take less leave which they used to take due to illness and work stress. This will benefit the companies and will also cause less loss to the global economy.
Company 4 Day Week Global says that it has done such successful trials in America, Canada, Britain and Portugal. The employees who took part in the trial of working 4 days a week said that this improved their physical and mental health and made them less tired from work. The German companies taking part in this trial are also expecting similar results.
In many countries, there is a trend of working four days a week.
This is not the first time that a country is suggesting 4 days of work a week or making such a start. In the year 2022, Belgium became the first country in the European Union to start working 4 days a week. However, here 4 days of work is optional in which the working hours of the employees are equal to the working hours of 5 days.
Japan is also among the countries that have started working 4 days a week. The Japanese government has done this in view of its aging population and very low birth rate. The Japanese government is encouraging the country’s youth to create families, have children and spend money so that the economy improves and the birth rate improves.
