22% of Irish professionals see 4-day work week to be a reality in the next 5 years
About 22% of Irish workers believe that the four-day work week will become a reality in the next five to te years, according to a new survey conducted by recruitment firm Hays Ireland.
Since the CVID-19 pandemic began, campaigns for a four-day workweek have become widespread in the country.
The most frequently cited benefit of this shorter working week is employee mental health and wellbeing. Other prominent benefits cited include talent attraction and talent retention.
Meanwhile, 11% of the respondents said that the shorten workweek will result in greater organisational productivity.
Hays Ireland Director Maureen Lynch said that “the last two years have encouraged employers to reconsider the workplace environment.”
She added that the switch to remote and hybrid working models has opened the floor for further discussion of alternative ways of working — such as the four day working week.
About six per cent of Irish workplaces have already implemented this change, with four per cent implementing it permanently and the two per cent are operating on a trial basis.
Ireland is not the only European country that is adapting to this change. Earlier this year, Belgium joined Spain and Iceland in providing its workers the option of a four-day working week.
