Have you grown tired of the same-old five-day workweek setup for traditional and online jobs before the pandemic? Are the rising expenses due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine putting a strain on your already tight budget?
If so, then I have good news for you! In light of these current events, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) have favored implementing a four-day workweek to help workers.
Aside from being a money-saver, this setup also gives them more time to rest and spend with their loved ones. Despite its advantages, there are also challenges to this proposal. One such challenge is the possible unwillingness of companies to implement this setup in the first place.
Curious to know more about this proposal? Then continue on reading this article. Here, I shall talk more about the four-day workweek proposal, why it’s being proposed, its advantages, and the challenges to its implementation.
What Brought About This Proposal?
The 4-day workweek was a proposal made by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Its aim is to help workers get back on their feet amidst the increasing costs for transportation and other necessities today.
As I mentioned earlier, this increase in prices is due to the economic sanctions placed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine. The supply of oil, in particular, was disrupted by the ongoing conflict, causing a chain reaction that affected food and other products.
Currently, this proposal is still pending approval by the president. Meanwhile, DOLE, CSC, and even the Department of Energy (DOE) have expressed support for this scheme.
What Are the Benefits of a 4-day Workweek?
So what are the benefits of having a four-day workweek instead of five? Obviously, one of the most attractive benefits of this setup is having one less day to spend at work. This means that you have more time to spend with your loved ones, your hobbies, or for rest.
Another obvious advantage that this setup gives is that it helps workers save money. A four-day workweek means that workers don’t need to spend as much commuting or refueling their cars anymore. Sure, it doesn’t seem much initially, but the amount you save not needing to travel for a fifth workday adds up in the long run.
You may be wondering, “how will a four-day workweek affect those working via online jobs?” Well, good news for us remote workers! The DOE also encourages extended work from home arrangements alongside the four-day workweek.
Challenges Faced by This Proposal.
Of course, not everything about the proposed four-day workweek is positive. For one, your number of workweek hours remains the same.
What does that mean? It means that you still have forty work hours a week. So instead of working an eight-hour shift, you’re going to work for ten hours on a four-day workweek. Suddenly, working for only four days doesn’t sound too good now, doesn’t it?
Having to work for ten hours isn’t the only challenge this proposal faces. Despite the support of several government agencies, in the end, it’s still up to the company whether or not to implement the four-day workweek. So if you’re expecting that this setup will be for all companies, it’s not. The final decision to adopt it still lies on your company’s owner.
A New Workweek for the New Normal.
Although it’s still pending approval, the proposed four-day workweek is a dream come true for many workers, including me, to be honest. Who wouldn’t want to work for only four days a week, right? Not only that, but it also helps reduce your spending during this time of oil price hikes and expensive commodities.
That said, there are also challenges to this proposal. One example is the fact that it is up to the companies themselves whether to implement it or not.
Despite these challenges, we have made significant strides in changing how we do work from before. A few years ago, we could not even imagine having to work via online jobs. Now, we may be working for only four days. But now, it is here. I wonder what else is in store for us workers in the future.
