PART II
THE business sector chooses to withhold its stand on the proposed four-day workweek scheme until the details of the same have been laid down. We can expect that if such scheme will affect the income generation activities of business establishments, the sector will, at the very least, register its opposition to the same.
In most business establishments, a four-day workweek scheme that means having one day less of operations is disadvantageous, to the say the least, because it will mean lesser opportunities to generate wealth for their shareholders.
A scheme that will not require a reduction in the number of operating days will force business establishments to operate with lesser workforce may, most likely, result in higher operating costs as they may need to employ more employees.
There is also the concern on the productivity of workers. In a five-day workweek scheme, employees work for eight hours per day. In a four-day workweek scheme, employees will have to work for 10 hours per day. Will workers be equally productive in both schemes?
Those who favor the proposed four-day workweek proposal cite the benefit of better professional-personal life balance in addition to the desired positive effect on vehicular traffic.
Such benefit is obvious because an extra day-off from work is an additional day that can be utilized for the personal concerns of concerned employees or workers. Such additional time can be spent for activities with the family or for personal enhancement.
The additional time off from work can also allow concerned employees to explore and pursue additional income-generating activities.
Like other proposals, the four-day workweek scheme has its pros and cons. The challenge for policymakers is to weigh all issues and make a policy decision that is best for the public (even if some will be disadvantaged by it) not only in the short or immediate term but in the long term.
The four-day workweek proposal is worth exploring because what our society needs are new interventions to address the worsening vehicular traffic problem, particularly in Metro Manila and other urban centers. At the very least, the proposal needs serious consideration by all concerned sectors. What we should not allow is for such and other similar proposals to die even before they are born.
