Should Zimbabwe work a four-day week?

THE call for a four-day working week from Monday to Thursday is growing louder by the day and the big question is should Zimbabwe join in? There are advantages and disadvantages of working a four-day week. While there is nothing illegal about it, I believe employers and employees should engage and agree on changes. It must also be noted that this kind of arrangement cannot work in all industries.

In terms of our Labour Legislation as read with various collective bargaining agreements, there are stipulated hours to be worked in a week or a month.

However, how those hours are worked is a matter between the employer and his employees. Meaning that working a four-day week is legal as long as the employer and the employee agree at the same time parties should avoid compromising business interests.

Already in Zimbabwe there are many organisations that are working special agreed times, for example in mining, a number of mines have employees working 14 days in, 7 days out.

In other places workers do 21 days in and 10 days out but at the end of the month, the workers will have clocked their 208 hours required for the month and earn their normal salaries.

Productivity targets will have been met during the four days and at the end of the day, everybody is happy.

In the United States of America there are already many organisations on a four-day week and employers have benefited from reduction in costs that are related to everyday attendance by employees and employees have gained savings in areas such as reduction in fuel costs, paying less towards child care, reduced vehicle maintenance costs, reduced absenteeism and employee morale rises.

A major benefit for the employers has been reduction in energy use for retail industries, longer trading hours that allow working customers to access the shops and many others.

The downside has been that, working for longer hours to cater for the four-day week has brought up fatigue issues, health issues, loss on concentration and increased substandard work, customer services has been compromised and there has been employee safety and equipment safety issues as the workers get fatigued.

Closing a business for three days has proved inconvenient for customers who will be unable to access products and services for that period and for employees being away for long periods has created a strain on child care as parents are away from their children for long periods and at times, one leaves when the children are asleep and comes back when they are asleep again.

In conclusion, I believe the issue of a four-day working week should not even go for National debate but each business where possible should evaluate the pros and cons of a four-day week and make a decision that is in the interest of both the business and its employees.

Davies Ndumiso Sibanda can be contacted on:
Email: [email protected]