Indonesian ministry launches four-day work week after successful pilot
Indonesian ministry launches four-day work week after successful pilot
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Voluntary programme allows employees to meet 40-hour work requirement in four days. The employees will be able to utilise this programme up to twice per month. Any employee who is not able to complete the requisite 40 hours will follow the regular five-day work schedule. He said the four-day work week is still being assessed carefully to see how effective it is and that is why it is presently only available to employees at the ministry of state-owned enterprises. It may soon be rolled out to firms under the ministry’s ambit.
The initiative was introduced last March, with ministry head Erick Thohir pointing out that 70 per cent of the younger generation suffered from mental health issues and a reduced work week could help lessen employee stress levels. “We push (the scheme) not to make employees indolent. It also does not mean that every Friday is an off day. Only employees who have worked for more than 40 hours in the week can register (for the extra day off),” he said at the time.
As part of the pilot, his team conducted internal surveys which found that a majority of the staff members were very strongly in favour of an improved work-life balance. It is unclear whether the four-day work week programme will be introduced in other ministries in the country. The idea of a four-day work week has been gaining momentum over the past few years, with several countries implementing it in some form.
In October 2024, the Miyagi prefecture announced plans to extend its four-day work week option to all employees by 2026, according to The Japan Times. The policy, currently available to those with childcare or caregiving responsibilities, allows a three-day weekend with supervisor approval. Other regions, including Ibaraki, Chiba and Kuji, are adopting similar initiatives to support work-life balance, childcare, caregiving and workforce retention, , the paper reported.
A survey last summer revealed approximately six per cent of full-time workers in the UK are already working four-day weeks, suggesting up to 1.5 million employees could now be benefiting from this new approach to work. According to a survey by Survation, 58 per cent of the public say taking a three-day weekend will be “the normal way of working” by 2030, with only 22 per cent believing it won’t.
