The other day, a petition was registered on the official electronic petitions website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, in which the government is proposed to develop and implement a state program for the transition to a 4-day work week (which provides for 32 working hours) without reducing the level of employees' wages.
The other day, a petition was registered on the official electronic petitions website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, in which the government is proposed to develop and implement a state program for the transition to a 4-day work week (which provides for 32 working hours) without reducing the level of employees' wages.
The authors of the petition call on the Cabinet of Ministers to initiate appropriate amendments to the Labor Code of Ukraine and take the following steps:
develop a comprehensive state program for a gradual transition to a 32-hour workweek with mandatory retention of full wages;
introduce a mandatory state pilot project, clearly defining the list of industries, private enterprises, and budget institutions for which the new schedule will become mandatory at the first stage of the reform;
to further ensure the scaling of this experience throughout the country.
The psyche of Ukrainians has been under tremendous pressure for a long time due to constant shelling, air raids and chronic stress. In such conditions, the traditional five- or six-day workweek only deepens exhaustion, the authors of the petition believe. An additional day off is needed by people not for entertainment, but for the restoration of the nervous system, treatment and sleep. A healthy psyche of workers is the basis of national security, the stability of the rear and the preservation of Ukraine's human capital, which will also stimulate the return of citizens from abroad.
The petition also emphasizes that reducing working hours does not reduce efficiency. Large-scale international experiments in the UK, Ireland and other countries have proven that with a 4-day schedule, labor productivity increases by 15–35%, as people complete tasks faster due to higher concentration. In addition, world practice records a sharp decrease in the number of sick leaves (up to 65%) and the level of burnout. For business and the state, this means enormous savings on disability payments and the search for new personnel.
Employers also receive direct economic benefits through reduced operating costs for energy consumption, logistics and office maintenance, the authors assure. At the same time, an additional day off stimulates the internal market, as citizens use services more often, attend cultural events and support local businesses. Ultimately, according to the authors, such a step is fully consistent with the course of European integration and the modern concept of work-life balance.
The collection of signatures began on July 3. During this time, the petition was supported by 2,200 people out of the 25,000 required.
