We All Need a Three-Day Weekend
Herbapol, a company based in Poznań specializing in herb processing, announced that they are testing a shortened workweek. Employees in the company now work not 40, but 32 hours per week. Importantly, their pay remains unchanged. In the first quarter of this year employees have one free Friday, and by the end of the year, every fifth day of the week will be a day off.
The company explains that this is an experiment aimed at reducing stress among employees and increasing productivity.
Many companies in Europe have already implemented a shortened workweek, including in the UK and the Netherlands. Since February 45 firms and organizations in Germany have been testing the new, shorter working hours.
According to Eurostat data Poles are among the most overworked nations in Europe. On average they work 40,5 hours per week. The average European spends 3 hours less at work per week. The Dutch work the least – an average of 33,2 hours per week.