Impact of a 30-hour workweek on daily practices

Reviving societal debate(s)

The debate on reducing working hours is reviving. Researchers, as well labour movements and even political parties see advantages in a collective decrease in working time. Working time has been decreasing since the beginning of the 20th century, due to increases in technological productivity. However, in some countries this trend has reversed in the last decades. Arguments for a workweek of 8 hours less than the usual 38 have risen. The arguments are displayed on the personal, household, societal and economical level.

Experiments abroad

The debate on reducing working hours in Belgium resembles the debates held in other countries. In some countries, mostly Scandinavian, some organisations have adopted the 30-hour workweek and evaluated the outcomes of this reduction in working hours.

Most discussions turn to one experiment in Sweden: the retirement home in Svartedalen where the nursing staff works only 6 hours per day over 5 working days, after the new working time arrangements were adopted. The experiment took place between February 2015 and December 2016. To compensate the loss in working hours, almost 15 FTE were hired.  Two control groups were used in this experiment. The findings of the shorter workweek turned out to be the following:

• [Personal] Reduced working hours had a positive impact on the employees’ health
• [Client] The quality of the service was improved
• [Societal] The decrease in working time had created more jobs
• [Economic] The financial cost had increased

Femma vzw

Situated in Schaarbeek (Brussels) Femma employs 62 women and one man. Most of them work full time, and are higher educated. In 2016 Femma outlined multiple strategies to balance the responsibilities for work and family.

Besides supporting an experiment in Belgium, Femma as a woman organization wants to supplement this debate by showing how these extra 6 hours a week have a positive impact on the combination of work-and-family. In doing so, Femma raises this debate from an intrinsic individual story to the societal level where the 6 extra hours influences multiple life spheres and in which more than only the employee has a benefit. Furthermore, the collective reducing of the working hours has been a feminist demand since the 1970s. The idea is that this will help reduce gender inequality in paid and unpaid work.

Action-research

In 2019, an ‘action-research’ will be kicked-off in which these employees and their family members will encounter the reduction in working hours in real life.  During the period of one year all employees will work 6 hours per day, with their wages being unchanged.

Have a look to the project poster of Femma

The main goal of this research is to build up practical knowledge in how a 30-hour workweek supports the combination of work and family. Therefore, not only the employees but also their partners will be asked to participate in a research of two times one week during 2019.

The research consists of time recording through MOTUS including activities related to work and private spheres. In this way, an insight in how work and family interrelates is achieved.

Two questionnaires will also be filled in by all the participants. In 2018 a preliminary research will be carried out and in 2020, when Femma employees return to their 36-hour week, respondents will be asked to complete a time registration once again. In this way, an insight in how work and family interrelates in different working time schedules is achieved.

Goal of Femma

Besides their contribution to the societal debate, this research should be understood as real-life case study in which an investment shows both the costs and benefits on all levels. So not only less work and higher cost but also the impact on the absenteeism, the living standards, and the happiness in life will be a valuable addition to our knowledge.