It’s a long weekend Saturday through Monday to work only four days a week. This is happening in Valencia, where the City Council has launched an experiment to assess the impact of reduced working hours to just 32 hours a week on productivity, leisure, mobility and the economy. “We want people to work to live, not live to work,” said Mayor Joan Ribó.
The pilot project benefits from combining consecutive Monday holidays in April. With Easter Monday (April 10), San Vicente Ferrer (April 17), San Vicente Mártir (a holiday moved from January 22 to April 24), and Labor Day May 1, the citizens of the Spanish city of El Diario will work for a month, only four times a week day, it says 32 hours in total. Ribó launched an information campaign on the subject in March: “We want a friendly and healthy city that cares about people,” said the mayor, highlighting the innovative nature of the experience and its potential positive impact on Valencian society.
Although the issue is subject to negotiation between trade unions and employers, Valencia Municipality said it would like to see “what’s going on” using quantitative and objective data. The results will be evaluated by the Las Naves innovation center of the city of Valencia to have the results of this test from 20 July.
The proposal is the result of intense dialogue between various relevant sectors such as trade unions, companies, neighborhood organizations and other social actors. It is an experience that adds to similar initiatives carried out in countries as diverse as Lithuania, UK, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Iceland, Portugal and Japan.
The main areas to focus attention are health and social welfare, the climate emergency and the economy. Below, data on the personal dimension of employees such as time use, work-life balance, well-being and rest, among other variables, will be analyzed. The impact of the measure on greenhouse gases, air quality, energy consumption and traffic will also be taken into account. Finally, its effects on domestic tourism, the hotel industry and trade will also be evaluated.
According to Mayor Ribó, the pandemic has completely revolutionized the way people think about work, highlighting the benefits of working smart (for both companies and employees). With the goal of limiting emissions as much as possible, tackling climate change has contributed to the shift of this culture to other forms of work, providing yet another valid reason to reduce daily travel.
The idea of the 32-hour workweek was supported by the Valencia Region, which also guaranteed companies support for its implementation without affecting salaries. Among its various initiatives, it has offered companies over 9,000 euros for each worker to join 32 hours a week in 2022. Of course, assistance that includes a prior agreement with the employee’s legal representative and a productivity improvement plan.
Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.