Belgium Officiates Four-Day Workweek, Right To Ignore Bosses After Hours
By Alexa Heah, 16 Feb 2022
Employees in Belgium will soon be able to opt for a four-day workweek following significant labor reforms announced by the country’s coalition government this week.
In addition to not having to stick to a Monday to Friday job schedule, workers will be given the right to switch off work devices and need not respond to work-related messages after hours without consequences.
“We have experienced two difficult years. With this agreement, we set a beacon for an economy that is more innovative, sustainable, and digital,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.
“The aim is to be able to make people and businesses stronger,” he added.
A government spokesperson told Euronews Next that employees will be allowed to work four days a week for up to six months. After the trial period, they can choose to continue with the new arrangement or return to a regular five-day workweek.
“The period of six months was chosen so that an employee would not be stuck for too long in case of a wrong choice,” the spokesperson said.
Apart from the new four-day week, employees can request flexible work schedules as well. Companies are now required to provide schedule updates at least one week in advance to allow for workers’ plans.
“This would benefit those who wish to spend more time with their children,” said Labor Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne, who noted that the flexibility would be helpful for separated or divorced parents sharing co-parenting duties.
However, many employers in the country may not take so kindly to the news, as per the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, which speaks for over 50,000 corporations.
“Instead of creating more possibilities for employees, what we see is that the government provides for a number of additional conditions which will very likely discourage employers,”
aid the Federation’s Director Monica De Jonghe, as per Fortune.
Nonetheless, the reforms could be a step forward in the right direction of encouraging a better work-life balance, especially as the line between office and home has blurred even more during the pandemic.
[via Euronews Next and Fortune, cover image via Sjankauskas | Dreamstime.com]