The ‘dialogue’ community wants to know: do we need a four-day work week?
With summer holidays coming to an end for many, the time may be right to ask whether we should all work less. The community from “dialogue”, a debate platform run by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), asks: does Switzerland need a four-day work week? Read up and join the discussion!
More free time while earning the same salary: that was the proposal made by the Swiss employees’ association (Angestellte Schweiz) this week. It offers companies the choice of increasing their employees’ wages or giving them more time off.
If you’re interested, you can learn more about the proposal on German-speaking Swiss public radio, SRFExternal link.
An important reason for the changes in the labour market is the shortage of skilled workers. Employers are under pressure to adapt to the zeitgeist and cater to the younger generation’s desire for a better work-life balance.
One option for achieving a better work-life balance is a four-day work week. This model has piqued the interest of the SBC community of users. On the platform “dialogue”External link, a majority voted in favour of a debate on the topic, proposed by one user.
The Vaud-based IT company Assymba was one of the first in Switzerland to introduce a four-day work week. This model has made the company more productive, the founder of Assymba told French-speaking Swiss public television, RTS. However, it initially took some convincing among the employees.
Other companies have already abolished the four-day work week. For example, the Krafft hotel group in Basel had high hopes for the model. However, after some time, the staff wanted to return to working five days a week.
The Swiss Employers’ Association and the Swiss Commercial Association are also sceptical, or at the very least cautious, about the four-day work week. The trade union Unia, on the other hand, supports the idea. “It’s time for employees to get something back in the form of more free time,” a union representative told SRF.
Here are five questions on the topic of work. Compare your views with those of people living in Switzerland and fellow Swiss Abroad!
“dialogue” aims to bridge language divides and foster closer connections between people living in Switzerland and the Swiss Abroad. It offers content from all five units of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), translated into all national languages and English, and a debate platformExternal link, where people in Switzerland and the Swiss Abroad can discuss current issues.
Adapted from German by Claire Micallef/gw
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