POLL: Would you prefer a four-day work-week?
by Marshall JonesAs New Zealand rounds the corner of the global pandemic, Prime Minister Jacinda Adern has floated an idea to revive the tourism industry there that's attracted plenty of interest in Canada as well.
She mused in a Facebook Live post about the benefits of moving to a four-day work-week to give residents more free time for staycations since it appears international travel could be severely curtailed for a long time yet.
“I hear lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day week. Ultimately that really sits between employers and employees, but as I’ve said, there’s lots of things we’ve learned about COVID and just that flexibility of people working from home, the productivity that can be driven out of it,” Ardern said. “Really encourage people to think about, if they’re an employer and in a position to do so, to think about whether or not that is something that would work for their workplace because it certainly would help tourism all around the country.”
The suggestion is that working four ten-hour days might be no less productive while also providing more free time to explore.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the idea is not on his radar just yet, but didn't give it a hard pass either.
We're curious what you think? Is this something Canada and Canadian employers should consider?