What’s going on:
Spanish businesses with fewer than 250 employees have one month to apply for an ambitious government pilot program: cutting their work week to four days while still earning full pay.
The €9.6 million scheme aims to support small and medium-sized industrial firms, with around 25-30% of workers having reduced hours with full salary, and employers being partially compensated up to €200,000 and the consulting costs of designing new work schemes.
Applications are due by November, and once the trial begins, its results will be audited after two years, according to Reuters.
Why it matters:
The shortened work week is gaining traction, and a few countries are becoming increasingly interested in implementing it as people begin to value work-life balance more and more.
How it’ll impact the future:
The coastal city of Valencia in Spain is concurrently trialing a four-day work week for an entire month, with the city council allowing 800,000 of its people to enjoy four consecutive Mondays as holidays.
If these trials are a success, this could have massive implications for a future where the four-day work week becomes the norm.
