Ready For 4-Day Work Week? Govt Considers Longer Shifts To Offer Flexibility

The proposed rule will be part of the labour code, and after it is being implemented, employers will no longer be required to seek government permission to shift to a four- or a five-day working week given the employees have approved the arrangement.

Workplaces in pandemic times have undergone a major shift with companies offering flexibility to employees working from home. If the government has its way then companies will soon be able to offer the flexibility to choose a shorter four-day work week, but it may call for longer shifts.

What is the expected change?

A report in the business daily Mint quoted labour secretary Apurva Chandra saying the weekly 48-hour work limit will stay but employers will be able to deploy people on four, 12-hour workdays per week; or five, around 10-hour days; or six, eight-hour days.

“We are not forcing employees or employers. It gives flexibility. It’s an enabling provision in sync with the changing work culture," said Chandra.

As per the report in Hindu, the draft Rules for Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code says no worker will be required or allowed to work in an establishment for more than 48 hours in a week. Also, the period of work shall be inclusive of intervals for rest, and shall not exceed 12 hours in a day.

How it will benefit companies?

The proposed rule will be part of the labour code, and after it is being implemented, employers will no longer be required to seek government permission to shift to a four- or a five-day working week given the employees have approved the arrangement. At present employees usually have a work week of 5 or 6 days.

On the employer part, it has to be ensured that if they migrate to a four-day work week, there has to be a three-day break, and if it is a five-day week, two days of break will be offered paving way for a new work week.

Experts in the field believe the new labour code will give employers the freedom to choose to have 8 to 12 hours workdays, based on demand, industry and location.

For employees it will be a welcome change as they will have extra time to spend with families or on leisure activities and refresh themselves from weekly pressures.

On the other hand, this new rule will help companies benefit from lower office rental costs besides having energized and productive staff.

Certain sectors such as IT and shared services can reap the benefit from this change. For instance banking and financial services industry can benefit from the longer working hours for lesser days and enjoy a longer break.