Businesses urged to join four-day workweek pilot

Namibia companies have been invited to take part in a four-day workweek pilot programme, involv- ing giving workers an extra day off without reducing their salaries.

The four-day workweek pilot is planned for June in South Africa.

This will be the second pilot pro- gramme in South Africa.

A total of 29 South African and Botswana businesses participated

in the first pilot programme, which kicked off in February.

Karen Lowe, director of 4-Day Week SA, says the pilot programme constitutes a six-month trial and par- ticipating organisations will benefit from workshop training and mentoring by 4-Day Week Global and organisa- tions which have already successfully implemented the programme.

Lowe says researchers will work with participants to establish relevant productivity and worker well-being

metrics and define what individual success looks like.

The four-day workweek is being adopted all over the world in a bid to improve productivity and wellness in the workplace.

It is based on the 100-80-100 model, developed by the co-founders of 4-Day Week Global, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart, in the landmark Perpetual Guardian trial in New Zea- land in 2018.

The model prescribes 100% of the

pay for 80% of the time in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output.

It is being recognised as a way of supporting and empowering workers, enhancing organisational productivity, and having a positive impact on societies and the envi- ronment.

Research shows that companies who gave their staff an extra day off per week with no reduction in pay expe- rienced increased revenue alongside

reduced absenteeism and resignations. Workers felt less stressed and burnt out, and reported higher rates of life

satisfaction.
“We are actively recruiting for the

second pilot, which provides further opportunity for organisations want- ing to be part of this groundbreaking workplace experiment,” says Lowe.

The deadline for sign-up for the second pilot is 15 May.

– email: matthew@namibian. com.na

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