A new law allowing employees to work four instead of five days a week went into effect in Belgium on Monday. After the coalition government’s parties reached an agreement on working-life reform in June, the regulation was put into effect. Employees will be able to ask their employer for the option to work four days a week under the terms of the agreement. The 38-hour workweek can be completed in four rather than five days if the employee so chooses and strikes a deal with the employer.
Those who are able to do so will have the choice of taking three days of weekend time off or using their additional day off during the workweek. With the employer’s approval, the system may last another six months. At the conclusion of the first six months, the agreement may be renewed with mutual consent. Employers have the right to refuse such a demand, but the rejection must be supported by a valid argument.
The policy has drawn criticism from certain non-governmental organisations, which highlighted the drawbacks of focusing the effort on four days. Experts contend that lengthy periods spent outside of the house by workers, together with the time spent travelling home after long shifts, can have detrimental impacts. With this decision, Belgium officially introduced a four-day work week as an option for its employees, making it the first nation in the European Union and the third in the world (after Iceland and New Zealand).
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