For a while, Irish workers have looked on in envy as countries across the world have trailed the four-day working week. It’s been trailed in New Zealand, Spain, Australia, the US and Canada and now it’s coming to Ireland!
Don’t get too excited because you have to work for a participating company to qualify for the trial, but plenty of companies across Ireland will be taking part. Ireland’s trailing fewer participants than the UK, which has more than 3,000 workers currently testing the theory that people can be just as productive in a four-day working week as they would be normally.
It’s not just office jobs that will get to test this theory, with fields such as construction and hospitality also taking part. Those participating will be paid 100% of their wages but they will work 20% fewer hours under the scheme. They are, however, expected to be just as productive as they would be in a normal, five-day week.
4 Day Week Global will oversee the trial, working with the participants to monitor any changes in stress levels, work-life balance, and general mental and physical wellbeing. As more and more of Ireland’s working population return to the workplace after years of many people working from home it will be interesting to see the impact of the four-day working week trial.