The shortest work week is coming to Latin America.
Next month, the Dominican Republic will launch a six-month pilot program for private and public companies. Employees will reduce their full-time workday from 44 to 36 hours while maintaining their current salary.
The government’s announcement does not specify in particular that working hours will only be extended from Monday to Thursday, but that “workers will get 100 percent of their salary, with a 20 percent relief in their working day and maintaining 100 percent productivity. “
4 main companies participate, adding the telecommunications corporate Claro and the corporate structure IMCA.
The International Labour Organization already recommends a maximum 40-hour week, but the expected duration of the paintings can range from 25 to 52 hours depending on the country.
In other pilot programs, staff reported feeling happier and more effective with a shorter workweek. And employers are experiencing earnings growth.
The Dominican Republic is a pioneer in the region when it comes to the shortest workweek, however, there is already evidence recommending that this schedule performs on several levels.
The Dominican Republic will be the first Caribbean country to test a shorter workweek, according to the country’s Ministry of Labor.
The program is supported by the government and a local university will track employees’ health, work-life balance, and productivity.
The Ministry of Labor said in a press release that the program “puts others first, physical fitness and well-being, and promotes sustainable and environmentally friendly productivity. “
Over the summer, Four Day Week Global published the effects of pilot systems in the U. S. A study in the U. S. , Australia and the U. K Unido. La New Zealand-based nonprofit reported that one-third of painters said they felt less intensity at work and were less likely to give their jobs. Participating corporations experienced a 15% increase in revenue.
Shorter working hours — or eliminating Fridays altogether — also helped companies retain at-home workers and workers with children.
The Dominican Republic pilot program mirrors a 2022 trial in the U. K. in which more than 60 corporations participated. According to the World Economic Forum, the British trial improved employee morale and advanced employee recruitment. Revenue remained largely unchanged across all corporations, but staff reported less burnout and took 65% less on days of poor health. So far, 30% of companies have permanently followed the four-day workweek and more than a portion have maintained the four-day schedule beyond the initial trial period.
Chile is now reducing the required operating time from forty-five to 40 hours until 2028, and in Colombia a similar relief in the operating week is planned. A bill was also introduced last year in the Mexican Congress to shorten the workweek.
Some US companies have even experimented with a 4.5-day workweek.
In the United States, there is an intention to enshrine the 32-hour workweek in federal law.
Democratic Rep. Mark Takano is the lead sponsor of a bill that was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce last spring. The bill would adjust the Fair Labor Standards Act to allow all American workers a four-day work schedule, ensuring that any hours worked beyond the 32-hour requirement would be eligible for overtime pay.
The long-term nature of Takano’s bill is still clear.
Other lawmakers, like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have also voiced support for a shorter workweek.
The Dominican Republic trial will provide more global data on how a shorter workweek impacts both employees and employers. The program will evaluate any changes in revenue, as well as shifts in worker health and wellbeing.
Most four-day workweek systems are voluntary for companies, and many countries do not have laws requiring a shorter workweek. With data consistently positive, it is imaginable that the United States and other countries will see the shortest work week implemented by law.
Have you been a part of a four-day workweek pilot program or do you work at a company adopting the schedule? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].
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