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The Dutch are quietly shifting towards a four-day work week
The Netherlands serves as a case study for the advantages and trade-offs of reduced hours in the workplace.
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The Netherlands serves as a case study for the advantages and trade-offs of reduced hours in the workplace.
PHOTO: EPA
Sarah O’Connor
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To the proponents of a four-day week, there is almost no problem in modern life which the idea can’t solve – or at least ameliorate. Burnout? Tick. Gender inequality? Tick. Unemployment? Tick. Carbon emissions? Tick.
Conversely, opponents see only problems: reduced economic output; damaged business competitiveness; strained public services; a weakened work ethic.
