Working four days a week instead of five, without losing salary – this is the model of labor organization proposed to be introduced in Ukraine. The idea involves reducing the working week to 32 hours while maintaining full pay. According to the initiators, this will help Ukrainians better recover from prolonged stress due to the war, reduce professional burnout, increase labor productivity and bring the Ukrainian labor market closer to modern European standards. The corresponding petition No. 41/010242-26еп was registered with the Cabinet of Ministers. The government is urged to initiate amendments to the Labor Code of Ukraine and begin the reform to introduce a 4-day work week.
The Cabinet of Ministers is asked to initiate amendments to the Labor Code of Ukraine, which will provide for:
establishing the maximum standard of working hours – no more than four working days or 32 hours per week;
mandatory preservation of the full amount of wages;
guaranteeing the right of employees to proper rest.
In addition, it is proposed to introduce a mandatory state pilot project with a clear definition of the industries, budget institutions and private enterprises that will be the first to switch to the new work regime. After that, as noted in the petition, the experience is proposed to be necessarily extended to the entire country.
Why do the initiators believe that four working days will be more effective
The appeal provides a number of arguments in favor of such a reform. In particular, due to the war, Ukrainians have been under significant psychological stress for a long time, caused by air raids, shelling, lack of sleep and chronic stress. In their opinion, an additional day off is necessary for the restoration of the nervous system, treatment, full rest and reduction of stress levels. It is also indicated that the results of international experiments conducted in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Iceland allegedly indicate that after the transition to a four-day work week, labor productivity does not decrease, and in some cases increases by 15–35%.
Separately, the authors cite the largest British experiment, during which, according to them, the number of sick days was reduced by 65%, and 71% of employees reported a decrease in professional burnout. Less burnout, lower costs and more time for life: what are the benefits?
Among other expected results of the reform, the petition names:
reduction of employers’ costs for office maintenance, energy consumption and logistics;
reduction of staff turnover and costs for finding and adapting new employees;
preservation of human capital in Ukraine and creation of additional incentives for the return of Ukrainians from abroad;
development of domestic tourism, the service sector, culture, sports and small and medium-sized businesses thanks to the additional day off;
Ukraine’s approximation to European approaches to ensuring work-life balance.
“Work smarter, not less”: how they conclude their appeal
The text of the petition emphasizes that the proposed reform, according to its authors, does not mean a reduction in the amount of work. “This is not about working less, it is about working smarter and more efficiently,” the appeal states. The authors of the petition call on the Cabinet of Ministers to support the reform, which, in their opinion, will contribute to increasing the efficiency of the economy and improving working conditions in Ukraine.
