Every 4-Day Work Week Bill (FEB 1, 2023 UPDATE)
| << 4-Day Work Week: Complete Overview |
Interest in the four-day work week has grown drastically in the last few years – first from individuals, then management teams, and now governments. There are a number of four-day (or, 32-hour work week) bills being proposed in states and countries around the world.
This is a running list of all of the government bills that push for a four-day work week as law.
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Four-Day Work Week Bills: Proposed, Passed, & In Law
Country | Bill Date | Status | Source |
 | Jan 18, 2023 | Proposed Trial | WMAR 2 News: It's called House Bill 0181, the Four–Day Workweek Pilot Program and Income Tax Credit. |
 | 2014 - 2021 | Trial, Ended | Washington Post: |
 India | Dec 20, 2021 | Proposed 48 Hours | "If the new labour codes are implemented, there's a likelihood that employees in India may be able to enjoy a four-day workweek from next year, as opposed to the current five-day workweek. In that case, however, employees will have to work for 12 hours on those four days since the labour ministry has made it clear that even if the proposal comes through, the 48-hour weekly work requirement has to be met." |
 Canada | December 6, 2021 | Proposed | Legislative Assembly of Ontario: |
| | Dec 7, 2021 | Proposed 32 Hours | Business Insider: |
 United Arab Emirates | December 7, 2021 | Trial 36 Hours | The United Arab Emirates is moving federal employees to a four-and-a-half day work week to "boost productivity and improve work-life balance," the government announced Tuesday. |
 | February 15, 2022 | Passed 38 Hours | Euronews: |
 | February 17, 2022 | Trial 32 hours | "Spain has announced that it will experiment with a trial four-day workweek, according to the Guardian. The Spanish government agreed to a 32-hour workweek over three years, without cutting workers’ compensation." |
 Malta | February 25, 2022 | Trial 32 hours | Businesses would be given incentives to participate in a national four-day week trial, under a PN government. The proposal, announced in the party's election manifesto on Thursday night, is part of a new 'social pact' that also includes the introduction of a living wage. The PN's manifesto gave no detail about how the scheme would work or what incentives would be offered. |
 | June 24, 2021 | Proposed 32 Hours | Washington Post: |
 | September 3, 2021 | Trial 32 Hours |
|
 | April 21, 2022 | Passed |
|
 | September 25, 2022 | Proposed | BBC: |
See Also: Every 4-Day Work Week Study
There are also notable country-wide four-day week movements… but they aren’t actually bills. Here are some examples:
- Denmark‘s official work week is 37 hours, but still typically done over five days.
- Germany‘s average work week is 34.2 hours, yet “in 2020, the country’s largest trade union, IG Metall, called for shorter working weeks, arguing it would help retain jobs and avoid layoffs,” according to DW.
- Finland‘s Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, called for a four-day working week or six-hour days in 2020. There is no official bill, though.
- New Zealand‘s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, suggested employers consider a four-day working week and other flexible working options. There is no official bill, though.
- Ireland has 20+ companies signed up for a six-month pilot run by 4 Day Week Global.
- United Kingdom has 50+ companies signed up for a six-month pilot run by 4 Day Week Global.
See Also: Average Work Hours Per Week For Every Country
How We Define The Status Of Each Bill
- Proposed: This is a suggested law, a bill, currently in the state or country’s legislative process. It hasn’t yet been passed into law or denied.
- Passed: This was a former bill that has been voted on affirmatively, but hasn’t yet been turned into a law.
- Law: This was a former bill that has passed and is now a binding rule in the country.
- Trial: This is a government sanctioned test of a four-day (or 32-hour) work week, but not a bill.
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