New Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg recently came out with an idea for Malta to trial a four-day work week, initially within the public sector.

Borg didn't delve into too much detail about the idea, but it certainly isn't the first time that the concept has been put forward as one which merits exploration.

What is certain is that Borg would have it first trialled in certain departments of the public sector: "As a testing ground, I'll start implementing it with certain government departments. If it works, and it turns out that productivity, efficiency and returns have increased as a result of a four-day week, we could then start slowly implementing it in the private sector through incentives," he said.

There are various models in which a four-day work week can be introduced.

One method is to spread the 40 hour work week across four 10 hour shifts rather than five 8 hour shifts, thereby allowing the worker in question to have an additional day off, but another is the "100:80:100 model" - 100 per cent of the pay for 80 per cent of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintaining at least 100 per cent productivity.

This means a reduction of weekly hours, offset by the thought that the improvement in the worker's wellbeing would result in that worker's productive output remaining the same as at present.

Several European countries have toyed with the idea.  Belgium, for instance, has introduced legislation that actually allows a four-day work week to take place.  Trials meanwhile took place in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Germany, Iceland and the UK, with the UK trial in particular being positively received and showing good results backing up the proposal, and most recently, Poland.

It was to be expected that the reaction of the employer bodies was negative.

The Chamber of Commerce, the Malta Employers' Association and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association decried the proposal, saying it would jeopardise the Maltese economy.

The chamber highlighted the "multifaceted issues" that this will bring about and called for a "thorough and objective" analysis to safeguard the interests of employers, employees and the broader economy. "Oversimplified statements on such impactful matters have far-reaching dangerous consequences for businesses, employees, and the economy at large," the chamber rightly said.

The Malta Employers went as far as describing them as "unsustainable populist ideas". When productivity declines, the need arises for more labour, necessitating a larger workforce to maintain a stable level of service and outputs. In the current climate of acute worker shortages, such proposals are not only impractical but risk exacerbating the supply-side challenges, which will almost inevitably lead to greater numbers of imported workers, the association said.

The MHRA, for its part, said that introducing or testing a four-day week risks sending the wrong message to investors and employers at a time when Malta is already facing acute labour shortages, rising costs, and pressure on competitiveness.

It is clear that that is a chasm between what employers think and what unions believe, given that the General Workers' Union, in its budget proposals, has suggested the introduction of a 32-hour working week.

It is important to keep in mind that in the highly competitive world we live in, any changes to the current set-up must be weighed against the possibility that a reduced working week could affect productivity.

An economic slowdown would not be beneficial for Malta. While a better work-life balance is in everyone's interest, decisions must be taken sensibly and without jeopardising what the country has painstakingly achieved.