Spain's Valencia tests the four-day working week
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Loading... - Aurelia Perez
- 27 Apr 2023
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The first four-day working week pilot test kicked off in Valencia this month. And it is thanks to four consecutive Bank holiday Mondays on 10th April (Easter Monday), 17th April (San Vicente Ferrer), 24th April (San Vicente Mártir changed from 22nd January) and 1st May (Labour Day), which will reduce Valencians' working hours to 32 over the next four weeks.
The City Council aims to test what happens regarding productivity, leisure activity, mobility, economy and health when applying this four-day working week, according to El Economista. The City Council's Las Naves innovation centre will analyse the results to reach the test's conclusions from 20th July.
This pilot test has been agreed with various sectors involved, including trade unions, businesses, neighbourhood organisations, institutions and other social agents. Moreover, the city council explains that similar tests have already been conducted in other countries such as Lithuania, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Iceland, Portugal and Japan.
According to Efe, the pilot programme will study three main areas: health and social welfare, the climate emergency and the economy. But what will the City Council look at? It will analyse the use of time, work-life balance, the sense of well-being, rest, the impact of greenhouse gases, air quality, silence, energy consumption, traffic, the public transport network, inland tourism, the hotel industry, commerce and shopping, among other issues. Read More…
