Ukraine currently does not have the economic prerequisites for introducing a four-day work week. The main challenge remains the shortage of personnel, and for the agricultural sector, where production depends on seasonal and continuous processes, a universal reduction in working hours is practically impossible. This opinion was expressed by Anatoliy Amelin, executive director and co-founder of the Ukrainian Institute of the Future (UIM) think tank, to Delo.ua.<\/p>\n
Why the Ukrainian economy is not ready for a four-day work week<\/p>\n
A petition was recently registered on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a proposal to reduce the duration of the standard work week from 40 to 32 hours under martial law. As of July 16, it had received more than 12,000 votes out of the 25,000 required.<\/p>\n
The main argument in favor of the reform, the author of the petition, Anna Pavlenko, calls the critical level of psycho-emotional exhaustion of society.<\/p>\n
In addition, the author refers to the successful international experience of introducing a four-day work week. According to her, the results of large-scale international experiments conducted in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Iceland have shown that the transition to a four-day work week not only does not reduce labor productivity, but in many cases contributes to its growth by 15\u201335%. This is explained by the fact that employees perform the same amount of tasks faster due to higher concentration and less fatigue, the author of the petition notes.<\/p>\n
However, the Ukrainian economy is not ready for the transition to a four-day work week without reducing wages, Amelin noted.<\/p>\n
“Ukraine is in a state of war, acute shortage of personnel and needs maximum restoration of production,” he said.<\/p>\n
According to a study by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, under the inertial scenario, the economy may lose $260\u2013300 billion in economic output by 2035, and one of the key limitations is already the shortage of workers. Therefore, the primary task is to increase labor productivity, not reduce working hours, Amelin noted.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Council of the Coalition of Business Communities for the Modernization of Ukraine Andriy Dligach also stated in a comment to Delo.ua that a four-day work week is currently an absolutely premature idea.<\/p>\n
“This is a strategy that we should move towards, but now, taking into account the catastrophic shortage of human capital, which, according to our calculations, is already heading towards 30%, this is impossible,” Dligach emphasized.<\/p>\n
Four-day work week: what could be the economic consequences for business<\/p>\n
If a four-day work week becomes a mandatory norm without a corresponding increase in labor productivity, the cost of production for many enterprises will increase, Amelin said. Small and medium-sized businesses, as well as labor-intensive industries – industry, construction, transport and the service sector, will feel this the most. Large companies have more opportunities for automation, digitalization and the use of AI, while for small businesses, adaptation will be much more difficult, said Amelin.<\/p>\n
Why the agricultural sector needs flexible schedules, not a four-day work week<\/p>\n
A universal four-day week is practically unsuitable for the agricultural sector, said the co-founder of the UIM think tank.<\/p>\n
“Field work, harvesting, livestock farming and processing work according to seasonal and continuous cycles determined by nature, not the calendar. Only flexible schedules, shift work and automation of individual processes are realistic,” Amelin explained.<\/p>\n
In conditions where Ukraine is already facing a shortage of personnel, and according to a UIM study, more than 60% of enterprises report difficulties in filling vacancies, additional administrative reductions in working hours can only exacerbate the shortage of personnel in manufacturing industries.<\/p>\n
Can a reduction in working hours compensate for the loss of one working day<\/p>\n
For certain professions, a reduction in working hours can compensate for the loss of one working day, according to the expert. First of all, this concerns office, creative and IT work, where artificial intelligence already automates routine tasks today, allowing people to perform the same amount of work in less time.<\/p>\n
“It is the development of AI that may become one of the main factors that will make a shorter working week economically justified in the future. However, for industry, the agricultural sector, logistics or construction, where the result largely depends on the working time of people and equipment, such a scenario is still unrealistic,” said Amelin.<\/p>\n
The experience of international pilot projects shows that a four-day week can work in the knowledge sector, provided that processes are deeply reorganized, but these results cannot be automatically transferred to the entire economy, the expert emphasized.<\/p>\n
The State Employment Service stated that under martial law, the introduction of a four-day working week in Ukraine is not being considered. Currently, the labor market is adapted to military needs, and working hours can reach 60 hours per week.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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