The Dominican Republic is in a position to implement a voluntary pilot program under which workers in public and private companies can benefit from a four-day work week.
The program, considered one of its kind in Latin America, is slated to begin in February. It will run for six months, as per Labor Minister Luis Miguel de Camps.
According to the Dominican government, employees will receive the same salary for the duration of the program, but their work hours will be reduced from 44 to 36 per week, as they will work from Monday to Thursday and have their rest days from Friday to Sunday.
The hard-working minister said the program “prioritizes people, fitness and well-being, and selling sustainable, environmentally friendly productivity,” AP News reported.
Several corporations are expected to participate in the program, including Latin American telecommunications giant Claro, power firm EGE Haina, heavy equipment company IMCA and the government’s national health insurance firm. A local university will be tasked with analyzing their findings and adding their effects. about the aptitude of workers, their relationships at work and their personal lives.
Employees of public and sole proprietorships in the Dominican Republic currently work 8 hours a day throughout the week and 4 hours on Saturdays. Workers can distribute those hours as they wish, as long as they exceed 44 hours per week.
The Dominican Republic appears to be following in the footsteps of Britain, which last year imposed the four-day workweek. This resolution yielded positive results, as workers experienced less stress and had a better work-life balance. Of the 61 corporations that participated in the pilot program, 56 extended its implementation and 18 made it permanent.
Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, called this a “major breakthrough moment,” adding that “across a wide variety of sectors, wellbeing has improved dramatically for staff; and business productivity has either been maintained or improved in nearly every case,” according to The Guardian.
“We are pleased with the effects and hope that they will show that the time has come to generalize the four-day week,” he added.
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