Shorter working hours – a remedy for the labour market's ailments or yet another challenge?
Current working time in Poland is the standard 40 hours a week, spread over 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. The idea of shortening the working week to four days assumes reducing working time to 35 hours a week. Is this really a breakthrough solution, or rather a passing fad? Such a 35-hour working week would aim to improve work–life balance and increase employee satisfaction and mental wellbeing.
The Labour Code and the four-day workweek
To introduce a 4-day working week, changes to the Polish Labour Code are necessary. The current working-time regulations do not provide for such a solution. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy is currently analysing two main variants: the first is a 35-hour working week spread over five days of 7 hours each, and the second is a four-day working week. Each of these options would require adjusting the regulations, particularly as regards flexible working time and remote work.
The ministry is analysing various models of organising working time to find solutions that best serve the interests of both employees and employers. As part of these analyses, it is examining whether a shorter working week, along with longer rest periods, could contribute to improving employee performance. The conclusions drawn from this research may give the future labour market an entirely new shape.
Public and private sector – different challenges, the same goals
In the private sector, some companies are already experimenting with a four-day working week, seeing it as a chance to attract talent and increase job satisfaction. In the public sector, however, introducing such a solution may be more difficult. Employers in public administration or healthcare must ensure continuity of services, which, with shorter working hours, would require hiring additional staff or changing the shift system.
Pay and benefits – will employees lose out from the changes?
One of the key questions is the matter of pay when the working week is shortened to four days. Will the employee receive the same pay for fewer hours of work? For employers this could be a financial nightmare, and employees would not want the reduction in working time to have a negative impact on their salaries.
Experts suggest that it is possible to maintain the current level of pay if work productivity increases. It sounds like the perfect solution, but... it requires a change in approach on the part of both employees and employers, as well as investment in tools that boost efficiency.
A shorter working week and productivity – what does the research say?
Supporters of the four-day working week praise it as the key to employee happiness and productivity. Research from countries such as Iceland and France shows that employees are less stressed, have more time to recover, and their effectiveness rises. But are these results really universal? Is Poland actually ready for such a step?
Critics of this solution argue that the Polish economy is not prepared for it. "We can talk about productivity, but won't shorter working hours lead to chaos in sectors that are already barely keeping up?" the sceptics ask. There are also concerns about industries where continuous presence is crucial – won't shortening the working week simply end up increasing pressure and the number of overtime hours?
Although the foreign examples seem promising, in Poland this model may face many challenges. In place of widespread enthusiasm, frustration may creep in among employers, who will have to cope with fewer working hours without lowering their expectations of productivity.
Conclusions and prospects for the future
Is Poland ready to introduce a four-day working week? The decision requires careful analysis and consideration of many factors, such as the impact on the labour market, employment, pay and benefits. Ahead of us lie decisions that could transform the entire labour market in Poland. An employee can submit a request for a shorter working week, but without the appropriate changes to the Labour Code and support from employers, it will remain nothing but a dream.
The Ministry of Labour and other institutions must enter into dialogue with all parties to work out solutions that benefit society as a whole. Reducing working time could become a significant benefit that improves employee wellbeing and contributes to the growth of the economy.
Summary
The four-day workweek in Poland is a topic that is gaining in importance. More and more people are asking whether we will really work less if a 4-day working week is introduced, limiting weekly working time to 35 hours. Such a change may seem tempting – more time for family, less stress in the workplace – but is the Polish economy ready for such a revolution?
At present we work 8 hours a day for 5 days, which makes 40 hours a week. Switching to 4 working days a week would mean not only fewer hours but also a reorganisation of entire company structures. The Chief Labour Inspector and the Central Institute for Labour Protection are considering what consequences such changes could bring, especially for sectors where continuity of services is crucial.
One of the biggest challenges remains the question of pay. Does shortening the working week mean lower salaries, or can the current level be maintained on the back of increased efficiency? This question remains open and stirs up considerable controversy.
Is Poland ready for such a bold step? The decisions made today will determine whether in the future we will work less and more effectively. Introducing a 4-day working week could be either a huge step forward or a serious challenge that not every employer will be able to bear.
