So they can choose to take the 36 hour week, right? Guess that means they earn less if they do?
The article is unclear, but the introduction on the study says:
Between 2015 and 2019, following discussions between public sector employers and trade unions, Iceland saw two major public sector trials of a shorter working week for no loss in pay.
Encouraging. However, there seems to be a question missing in the discussion: why aren’t more people taking the reduced hour offerings?
According to the report itself, after the first stage of trial, 86% of the working population started to negotiate for reduced hours, of the people surveyed, 51% were offered reduced hours and only 14% took them. It’s an unprecedented large proportion, but still less than one would expect given the benefits. There are other factors preventing people to do so. I hope there will be a follow-up research to find out why.
People barely survive on their income as it is, that’s why
From the study:
Between 2015 and 2019, following discussions between public sector employers and trade unions, Iceland saw two major public sector trials of a shorter working week for no loss in pay.
