Though work remains a central value for most individuals, recent years, with their periods of lockdown and the expansion of Covid-related tele-working, have brought a change in the perceptions — and expectations — of employees. More and more people now aspire to a better work-life balance, which may involve other ways of organizing employment and/or shorter working hours. This is why the idea of the four-day week is to the fore again in various European countries, including France.
Jean-Yves Boulin, who has just completed a detailed survey on the subject for Eurofound, examines the factors that have revived interest in the four-day week on the part of employees, decision-makers and business leaders. Referring to a variety of experiments, he shows the forms in which this can be organized, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the various specific arrangements applied in these experiments, from the standpoint of both employees and businesses. Lastly, he reflects on the prospects for a general adoption of the four-day week. Is it something people want? And is it desirable — both from an individual and a collective point of view? If it is, then under what material conditions? And does this apply to all sectors? The lessons learned which he presents here are an indispensable contribution to the lively debate potentially to be had among the social partners, citizens and decision-makers of the countries looking to move to a four-day week.
This article is downloadable only in French. It is not available in English.
