Namibia test-drives four-day workweek
Employers sceptical
The Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna) has welcomed the pilot project, which is expected to kick off in April of this year.
A trial run for Namibian employees to work only four days a week is approaching.
Starting in April, the pilot project will make Namibia only the second country in Africa, and one of a handful in the world, to practically test the feasibility of a four-day workweek starting in April.
4 Day Week Global recently announced that, following its successful trials in South Africa, it now aims to implement the same concept in Namibia. The international movement's Namibian partner, Jonas Ileka, will introduce the 100-80-100 concept to Namibia, which involves performing 100% of the work in 80% of the time, at a 100% salary.
Live experiment
Ileka said the pilot project will last for six months, with companies joining at the beginning of April and shortly thereafter adopting the shortened workweek. So far, 18 businesses have agreed to participate, including companies in banking, telecommunications, retail, marketing and the arts, he said.
“The goal of the trial is to determine if organisations are ready for a four-day workweek,” he said, and that research, data collection and analysis on productivity, income, job satisfaction, employee well-being, and absenteeism will be continuously conducted.
“For those who are not ready, the data will help them determine how far they are,” said Ileka. However, the Namibian Employers Association (NEA) described the initiative last week in a statement as "a pipe dream that is far removed from reality."
Economic burden
Henry Bruwer, the president of the NEA, says the association has not been approached about the pilot project and has no knowledge of plans to implement a four-day workweek in Namibia.
“It appears to be a private initiative, led by a foreign consultant and implemented by a local consultant,” he noted.
According to Bruwer, it can have a negative impact on the economy, especially on healthcare, hospitality, and retail, which already face labour challenges and struggle to maintain service levels with fewer employees if workers only work four days a week.
“A shorter week will reduce productivity in industries that rely on time-based production. Employers may have to invest in automation or hire additional workers to maintain output levels,” he added.
Bruwer argues that implementing a four-day workweek will be an administrative burden for businesses, and adjusting the current work model will require additional effort and resources.
“If productivity does not increase in line with reduced working hours, there may be a reduction in overall economic output (GDP). This has an impact on taxation and government spending,” he warned.
A four-day workweek will specifically mean increased operating costs and labour costs for employers due to more overtime payments and investing more in automation, while managers will have to redesign workflows, schedules and operations.
"Certain employees may be under pressure to complete all the work on time or to work more hours on the remaining days,” said Bruwer.
Quality life
Uncertainty about the success and long-term impact of transitioning to a four-day workweek can also unsettle employers, he notes.
"Our economy is already facing growth challenges, with high interest rates and high unemployment being the order of the day. Productivity has always been an issue in various industries, and a shorter workweek can exacerbate that impact."
However, the secretary general of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna), Mahongora Kavihuha, views the development as progress in a century-long struggle to reclaim workers' time. "The issue of working hours has been a long struggle for trade unions. In the past, workers worked up to 20 hours a day, and the eight-hour workday was a victory," he said.
The issue of time sovereignty is examined in the latest report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the future of work, according to Kavihuha.
He says it is naive to link productivity in today's changing labour market to hours spent in the office or at work.
“Why should employers always resist anything that benefits employees? This issue is close to our hearts, and we will push for it," he said.
– [email protected]
Starting in April, the pilot project will make Namibia only the second country in Africa, and one of a handful in the world, to practically test the feasibility of a four-day workweek starting in April.
4 Day Week Global recently announced that, following its successful trials in South Africa, it now aims to implement the same concept in Namibia. The international movement's Namibian partner, Jonas Ileka, will introduce the 100-80-100 concept to Namibia, which involves performing 100% of the work in 80% of the time, at a 100% salary.
Live experiment
Ileka said the pilot project will last for six months, with companies joining at the beginning of April and shortly thereafter adopting the shortened workweek. So far, 18 businesses have agreed to participate, including companies in banking, telecommunications, retail, marketing and the arts, he said.
“The goal of the trial is to determine if organisations are ready for a four-day workweek,” he said, and that research, data collection and analysis on productivity, income, job satisfaction, employee well-being, and absenteeism will be continuously conducted.
“For those who are not ready, the data will help them determine how far they are,” said Ileka. However, the Namibian Employers Association (NEA) described the initiative last week in a statement as "a pipe dream that is far removed from reality."
Economic burden
Henry Bruwer, the president of the NEA, says the association has not been approached about the pilot project and has no knowledge of plans to implement a four-day workweek in Namibia.
“It appears to be a private initiative, led by a foreign consultant and implemented by a local consultant,” he noted.
According to Bruwer, it can have a negative impact on the economy, especially on healthcare, hospitality, and retail, which already face labour challenges and struggle to maintain service levels with fewer employees if workers only work four days a week.
“A shorter week will reduce productivity in industries that rely on time-based production. Employers may have to invest in automation or hire additional workers to maintain output levels,” he added.
Bruwer argues that implementing a four-day workweek will be an administrative burden for businesses, and adjusting the current work model will require additional effort and resources.
“If productivity does not increase in line with reduced working hours, there may be a reduction in overall economic output (GDP). This has an impact on taxation and government spending,” he warned.
A four-day workweek will specifically mean increased operating costs and labour costs for employers due to more overtime payments and investing more in automation, while managers will have to redesign workflows, schedules and operations.
"Certain employees may be under pressure to complete all the work on time or to work more hours on the remaining days,” said Bruwer.
Quality life
Uncertainty about the success and long-term impact of transitioning to a four-day workweek can also unsettle employers, he notes.
"Our economy is already facing growth challenges, with high interest rates and high unemployment being the order of the day. Productivity has always been an issue in various industries, and a shorter workweek can exacerbate that impact."
However, the secretary general of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna), Mahongora Kavihuha, views the development as progress in a century-long struggle to reclaim workers' time. "The issue of working hours has been a long struggle for trade unions. In the past, workers worked up to 20 hours a day, and the eight-hour workday was a victory," he said.
The issue of time sovereignty is examined in the latest report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on the future of work, according to Kavihuha.
He says it is naive to link productivity in today's changing labour market to hours spent in the office or at work.
“Why should employers always resist anything that benefits employees? This issue is close to our hearts, and we will push for it," he said.
– [email protected]
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article