Debate on four-day work weeks resurfaces across Europe, contrasting German trials with Greek resistance and Lithuanian concerns.
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The concept of a four-day work week is being revisited in Italy and Lithuania, aiming to boost employee productivity and well-being with fewer working days for the same pay. Germany serves as a key European example, where about 45 companies have participated in a trial program since 2023/2024, reporting improved job satisfaction through internal reorganization and more focused work. However, some observers note that participating companies are already innovative, potentially skewing results. In contrast, Greece is moving in the opposite direction, increasing daily working hours to 13 without systematic studies on the impact of shorter working times, despite strong social demand for reduced hours. In Lithuania, while Prime Minister Inga RuginienÄ— supports the model as inevitable, trade union representatives express concerns that it might lead to employees taking more time off or harm the economy in the sales sector. A union leader suggested an alternative approach: reducing the total number of working hours across all companies rather than implementing a four-day week, proposing options like 36 or 35 hours per week based on examples from countries like Denmark and France.
