Belgium govt introduces four day work week option

New Delhi, Feb 17 (KNN) The Belgium government has allowed people to opt for four day work week option and has become one of the latest country to do so joining Scotland, Japan and Spain who are on trial with this initiative.

Labour market in this western European country is considered to be rigid, hence with this accord flexibility has been brought giving people the time to balance their personal and professional lives.

However, if the trade unions agree employees will have to work up to 10 hours per day in order to opt for the new work regime.

It has also given employees the right to disconnect and not engage in work after normal working hours for companies with more than 20 employees.

But this would require a manager’s approval which only makes it a possibility in companies having larger employee strength where the work can be distributed easily.

The announcement also include that employees will be able to choose to work more during one week and less the following one, allowing people to better manage their work-private life, in case of co-parenting for example or opening the possibility to permanent long weekends.

From 2015 and 2019 Iceland’s four-day work week trial was declared a success which has resulted in 86 per cent of the country’s workforce is working a shortened work week. (KNN Bureau)