© Associated Press
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Researchers have declared experiments in which workers receive the same amount for less working time to be extremely successful, write BBC. This could pave the way for the introduction of a four-hour work week.
Two experiments conducted between 2015 and 2019 led to maintaining or even increasing productivity in most jobs. The project of the government and city council of the capital Reykjavik has covered more than 2,500 people – about 1% of working Icelanders.
Many workers have switched from a 40-hour to a 35- or 36-hour work week, according to the two experiences of the British think tank. Autonomy and Icelandic Association for Sustainable Democracy. According to both organizations, the new conditions have necessitated a rethinking of the way tasks are performed; shorten appointments or replace them with emails, remove unnecessary tasks and change shifts.
Thanks to the experiments, 86% of employees in the country now either work less time for the same salary, or could negotiate for it, researchers explain.
According to them, the risk of overload and stress decreases in people who have undergone the change.
“Iceland has achieved the Holy Grail” for people with fixed working hours – the same pay in less hours, write Bloomberg.
Spain announcements last year an experiment with a four-hour work week. In Finland, Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin said the idea of a four-hour work week was worth exploring, as officials deserved to pick some of the fruit if productivity increased. However, her government is not working on the idea at the moment.
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