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The United Arab Emirates government on Friday announced a new system of weekly work for the federal government department with 4.5 working days and one and a half working days, which seems to be in line with many trends. Developed countries such as Spain, Japan and Iceland have been experiencing similar crowns of success in their efforts to raise the standard of living and strengthen the country’s economy. Recently this trend has been accelerating worldwide and calls have been launched in the European Union, Scotland, New Zealand, Germany and the UK to reduce working days. A coalition of legislators in Britain, Germany and the European Union is adopting a four-day work week as a way to combat the economic downturn from the epidemic.
This approach, taken by the United Arab Emirates, is supported by dozens of companies, unions and major unions around the world, aimed at increasing productivity, achieving greater balance between personal and work life, and improving the mental health of workers. Chain of restaurants like Japan, and American Shake Shake. The work schedule, which includes working four days a week in 2019, and other companies, including “Unilever” in New Zealand, have followed suit, following the outbreak of the epidemic. Shopify “in Canada” and “Del Sol” in Spain.
Now the UAE has introduced a short weekly workday of 4.5 days a week, and as the idea gains global momentum the 5 countries may soon move in this direction, especially as many of them are being personally tested. Sector companies.
Spain
According to the Guardian, Spain was one of the first start-ups in the world to test the four-day work system after the government announced in March 2021 a pilot program for companies interested in the idea. According to the plan, reducing the working hours without reducing the salary will cover three years, with a value of 50 million euros, to offset the potential costs to the companies. , Total 3–6 thousand employees. As for the effect of this measure, its proponents see it as improving efficiency and productivity, reducing pollution and energy consumption, and making employees happier and less prone to fatigue.
The experience of the Spanish software company “Dell Soul” converting four working days was promising, with the company’s deputy director Pilar Musquare announcing a 28 per cent reduction in layoffs and an increase in earnings while maintaining its entire staff. To the American “Time” magazine.
A study published in the January 2021 issue of the journal “Cambridge Economics” found that reducing the five-hour workday across Spain in 2017 would create 560,000 jobs, raising wages nationally by 3.7% and increasing GDP by 1.4%.
Japan
In Japan, this year the Japanese government announced a plan to achieve better work-life balance across the country. As part of the new economic guidelines completed in June 2021, the government is urging employers to reduce the working week to four days with the aim of achieving work-life balance and forcing companies toward more flexible working hours and distance. Work. The measure is considered useful for country employees who are tired and sick due to overwork. According to The Independent, the idea is to improve productivity and help employees who need to take care of their families or who want to learn new skills.
Even before the government, Microsoft introduced this concept in Japan in 2019, after allowing employees to work four days a week instead of five, productivity increased by 40%, power consumption fell by 23%, and 92% of employees said they were happy. .
Scotland
In Scotland, if Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon is re-elected, “I will allow companies to try four days a week,” The Scotsman said. Forbes magazine, its pro-independence party, has set aside $ 13.8 million for a small experiment, reducing workers’ working hours by 20% to four days (32 hours) a week without any pay cuts. Confirming the move, the government cited a recent poll by the Scottish Public Policy Research Center, which found that 83% of those polled said they would like to work fewer days than they currently do. , And the Chief Analyst of Public Policy Research called for the expansion of experiments covering different disciplines, each showing how they are handling this change.
Iceland
From 2015 to 2019, Iceland conducted the world’s largest experiment four days a week, in which work was reduced from 40 hours to 35-36 hours. The researchers described the experiment as very successful. As a result, more than 80% of Iceland’s employees choose short working hours as part of the “Nordic welfare model” without reducing wages in the economic system. Deutsche Welle “.
New Zealand
The idea of a four-day work week has received great impetus from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Artern, and the short working week is said to be a way to improve work-life balance, which the Prime Minister believes will continue to plague the country’s economy. In a Facebook Live video released in May 2020, he shared this advice while discussing lifestyles and promoting domestic tourism in his country.
Germany
The country’s largest union and Europe’s largest union, the metal workers’ union “ED Metal”, are now demanding shorter working hours in Germany to help protect jobs and avoid layoffs, but it is not yet clear if that will happen. This proposal was implemented or discussed in accordance with the German “Deutsche Welle”.
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