Fórsa pushes for extension of four-day week trials for its members

Fórsa, which represents 80,000 public servants, called for the attractive working arrangement to be tested by sections of the workforce.

It comes after the country’s first pilot scheme involving 12 companies revealed a range of benefits for workers and employers last week.

Fórsa’s comments come as the Department of Environment confirmed it has tendered for a research team to inform its policy on the issue.

A four-day working arrangement generally means staff work a day less without loss of salary. They are usually expected to be as productive as before.

But it may be unworkable for thousands of workers in customer-facing roles or frontline services.

Workers in Belgium can opt for a four-day week but have to work longer days to make up their hours.

The research published last week found workers whose employers adopted the four-day week slept an extra 42 minutes a night.

It listed a range of benefits, including improvements in life satisfaction and a rise in recycling, walking, and volunteering by staff.

Businesses saw an increase in interest in job offers and revenue, along with reduced energy bills.

A Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications spokesperson said it is in the process of finalising the engagement of a research team to undertake a study to be completed next year.

He said the department tendered for the research earlier this year.

“This research will be carried out with a view to gathering evidence which will inform any future policy development in this area,” he said.

He said it will examine the potential social, economic and environmental implications of a transition to reduced working time, including a four-day work week.

The research will focus on labour market participation, work-life balance, gender equality and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

He said the Government “welcomes the findings of the four-day work week research project” announced by the Four Day Week Ireland group, UCD and Boston College.

The spokesperson said the trial was limited to a small amount of participating companies, and further research is required to develop a “robust evidence base” on the topic.

Fórsa welcomed the results of the research, described as Ireland’s first coordinated reduced worktime trial.

“We now want to see similar trials take place within the public sector,” said a spokesperson.

Orla Kelly of UCD, who is involved in the Irish and global trials, said more trials will take place next year.

“There’s a really unique thing about work time reduction,” she said. “What makes it interesting and makes it popular is it’s a multi dividend policy.”