New Zealand PM Flags Four-Day Workweek To Boost Its Shuttered Economy After COVID-19

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CBS News: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says a four-day workweek could help rebuild the nation's economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Ardern floated the idea during a Facebook Live earlier this week. Speaking Tuesday from Rotorua, a tourist hub in New Zealand, Ardern brought up a flurry of suggestions that could help jumpstart the country's vital tourism industry, including the shorter workweek, which could encourage citizens to travel more. "I hear lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day week," Ardern said. "Ultimately that really sits between employers and employees. But as I've said there's just so much we've learnt about COVID and that flexibility of people working from home, the productivity that can be driven out of that." "I'd really encourage people to think about that if you're an employer and in a position to do so to think about whether or not that is something that would work for your workplace because it certainly would help tourism all around the country," she added. Arden said domestic tourism makes up about 60% of the industry, but New Zealanders spend about $9 billion (NZD) on tourism internationally. "Think about exploring your backyard," she said. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft tried a four-day workweek experiment with promising results. Not only were workers happier, but productivity went up 39.9% as fewer and shorter meetings were held, often virtually rather than in person.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

from Slashdot https://ift.tt/2XggoAf

Share on FacebookPlus on Google+

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER