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This is the first country to introduce the 4-day work week
Employees will receive the same wages but are expected to work less.
FILE PHOTO: Silhouettes of laptop users are seen next to a screen projection of binary code are seen in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
According to local state media, businesses in the Dominican Republic are gearing up for a trial initiative to implement a four-day work week. Set to start in February and extend for six months, the program assures employees of unchanged compensation, while the traditional 44-hour work week will be condensed to 36 hours, spanning Monday through Thursday.
Labor Minister Luis Miguel de Camps emphasized the prioritization of people’s well-being, promoting sustainable and eco-friendly productivity. Noteworthy participants in the pilot project include Claro, a telecommunications company operating in Latin America, the electric company EGE Haina, IMCA, a heavy equipment manufacturer, and the government’s national health insurance agency.
A local university has been assigned the responsibility of analyzing the outcomes, including any alterations in employees’ well-being and the correlation between their professional and personal lives.
Presently, companies in the Dominican Republic commonly designate eight work hours each weekday, with an additional four on Saturdays, though they have flexibility in distributing these hours, as long as the total does not surpass 44 hours weekly.
In 2023, Britain initiated the world’s largest pilot program for a four-day work week and reported positive results. Some companies in the United States have also adopted a shorter work week, and in Chile, legislators approved a bill to reduce the standard work week from 45 to 40 hours.
