The four-day work week, will it become the new normal?


On August 14, the Youth Commission of the QLP, the Quebec Liberal Party, will hold its Youth Convention in Trois-Rivières. Among the topics that will be widely debated is the four-day work week.

This idea of reducing the work week of Quebecers to 32 hours, without reducing their salary, is gaining ground, especially since there are countries such as Finland, which is already reaping the greatest benefits, particularly in terms of work-family balance.

This is undoubtedly the first argument that will be put on the table, Finland has already a good head start. Finland is not alone, recently, the computer giant Microsoft had also tested in Japan the four-day work week, with gains of 40% in productivity for the company.

An English study as an argument

In England, professors James Walker and Rita Fontinha, in a study conducted with 500 company managers and 2,000 English employees, confirm that the benefits are palpable. Employers report an increased ability to attract and retain an increasingly scarce workforce, as well as greater employee satisfaction. Absenteeism has decreased, as it did for Microsoft, and an increase in productivity has already been noted.

The only small downside is undoubtedly the inability to provide adequate presence and service to customers. The study also shows the tensions that could arise with older workers who, because of their values, will not understand the desire of younger workers.

The health and well-being argument

In Quebec, the president of the Young Liberals, Frédérique Lavoie-Gamache, believes that this proposal could improve the work-family balance, mental health, and productivity of Quebecers. With the pandemic, some young people have found they want to spend more time with their families. The experiment has been tried in other countries, she points out, including Iceland, where 86% of workers preferred a four-day week to the current model.

In the Scandinavian countries, there has been a significant decrease in sick leave and departures due to depression. For Ms. Lavoie-Gamache, these are people who will use health care institutions less, and this considerably reduces costs.

The Young Liberals are proposing that Quebecers work a maximum of 32 hours per week, with the employer paying for four of the missing eight hours and the government paying the rest.

This year's LPC Youth Convention will be held in a hybrid format (remote and in-person), while respecting health measures.

Now, tell us about your opinion on the question, are you in favor of a 4-day work week?