A European country has been surprising the world with a bold experience: the implementation of a 4 -day working week. Since 2019, this country has officially adopted this change, reducing weekly to 35 to 36 hours without any salary cut.
Surprising results
According to, this country is Iceland, and the results could not be more positive. Productivity remained stable or, in some cases, increased. In addition, stress and burnout levels decreased significantly.
Workers reported notorious improvement in the balance between professional and personal life, reinforcing the idea that fewer work hours can translate into a better quality of life.
The Icelandic experience, which already covers about 90% of its work force, is seen as an example for other countries, demonstrating that it is possible to maintain efficiency and at the same time ensure better conditions for workers.
The expansion of the model in other countries
Iceland is not alone on this journey. According to the same source, countries such as Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom are exploring this idea, motivated by the results encouraging the Icelandic model.
In these countries, the concept of reduced working hours without wage cuts is gaining strength, especially among younger generations, which value flexibility and well-being.
In Spain, for example, the government has already launched a pilot project to test the 4-day week in several companies.
According to the BBC, the first reports point to a positive acceptance by workers, which highlight the improvement in quality of life and time management.
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When in Portugal?
With the proven success in Iceland and the first steps taken in Spain, the question inevitably arises: when in Portugal? The reduction of working hours has been a topic discussed between unions and employers, but without significant advances so far.
As mentioned by the same source, flexible work models are becoming increasingly popular in Europe, especially in countries that seek to balance productivity with the well-being of their workers.
However, in Portugal, the transition to a 4 -day week still seems to be far from a reality.
A sustainable model?
The results presented by Iceland show that this model is viable, sustaining a strong trade union negotiation and an adaptation of companies to new times.
For the BBC, Icelandic success can inspire other countries to rethink the way they organize work. In Portugal, the discussion about the reduction of working hours has been present, but still without concrete steps.
Economic challenges and productivity -related issues are pointed out as the main obstacles to the implementation of a model similar to the islandic.
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