As October approaches, many associations and entities have begun publishing their views and ideas as to what should (and shouldn’t) be in the budget for the upcoming year.
The Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) which brings together unions and constituted bodies from across various sectors and industries was, this week, one of those to present their stack of ideas to the government.
Among those was the launch of a pilot project which would trial a move away from the conventional five-day work week, to a four-day work week.
Although the idea itself was not fleshed out in the MCESD’s presentation (there were some 230 proposals in total, so the lack of detail in this case can be forgiven), it is a most interesting one, and one which a number of countries abroad are toying with.
Iceland is the best example for this idea, having pioneered a trial which ran for four years between 2015 and 2019.
The trials run by Reykjavík City Council and the national government eventually included more than 2,500 workers, which amounts to about 1% of Iceland's working population, across a range of workplaces, including preschools, offices, social service providers, and hospitals.
Many workers moved from a conventional 40-hour week to a 35 or 36 hour week with the same pay, and as a result most reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, and said their health and work-life balance had improved.
They also reported having more time to spend with their families, do hobbies and complete household chores.
Such was the success of the programme, that around 85% of workers in Iceland are currently, or on the way to, working four days a week instead of five.
Other trials are being run across the world, including in Spain, Scotland, and by major employer Unilever in New Zealand.
The question now is: can such an idea be adopted for Malta?
The temptation is definitely there: such a system would improve workers’ mental wellbeing and their work-life balance without, it seems, affecting business productivity. It could also reduce people’s carbon footprint, and allow people more time with their families.
The major question is whether there is the attitude in Malta for such a system to be allowed to work.
Teleworking and working from home worked well enough during the pandemic, but as people spoke about needing a new normal in the workplace which including the possibility of working from home, many returned to their office desks when they could – with working from home becoming something of a pandemic novelty.
Yet, the potential benefits of the four-day work week idea should not be discarded simply on the basis of old-fashioned business attitudes.
Malta has consistently spoken of wanting to be on the forefront of attracting new talent to come to its shores for work.
Doing that means being at the forefront of new and emerging patterns and practices concerning the workplace. So when it comes to seemingly novel ideas like this, why not give it a shot?