Are you tired of the Monday-to-Friday grind? Well, you’re not alone.
The BC Green Party is calling for a three-year pilot project to shorten the workweek across the province.
The vision behind this proposal comes after lawmakers in Maryland introduced legislation to incentivize a four-day workweek through a tax credit of up to $750,000 over a five-year program.
If approved, the Greens’ pilot proposal would not require people to have their pay cut by a day, or their work hours increased during the four days they are working to cover the day off.
The four-day workweek would allow employees to keep the same pay, but with an extra day off per week.
Today I am calling on this government to pilot a four-day workweek across the province. 1/ #bcpoli #4DayWorkWeek pic.twitter.com/PglB67tOqq
— Sonia Furstenau (@SoniaFurstenau) February 23, 2023
“We should be rethinking what it means to work. A four-day workweek – without cuts to pay or working longer hours – is exactly the kind of innovative, people-first approach that can spark renewal in our workplaces,” says Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley.
As part of the pilot, businesses would be required to report data to the province to better determine how to balance reduced work hours and maintain the same rate of pay with benchmarks like productivity, employee wellbeing, and employer satisfaction.
“When we first proposed a four-day workweek in 2020, those with no imagination said it could never work, but what we’ve seen is more and more jurisdictions adopting the idea and starting pilots,” said Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands.
“It’s time British Columbians had a better work-life balance,” said Furstenau. “People are exhausted from trying to keep up with rising costs of living, inadequate healthcare, and working through a pandemic. Business owners and managers are facing a significant labour shortage and are struggling to keep employees.”
What are your thoughts? Are you in favour or against a four-day workweek?
