[Spain] Four day work week trial begins in Valencia

The Spanish city of Valencia will begin trialling a four-day working week this month thanks to four consecutive public holidays, The Local reports.

In April, leading into the first week of May, there will be four public holidays on four consecutive Mondays in Valencia. Although this might appear to be a calendar quirk, the consecutive holiday Mondays were the result of a conscious decision made by the local council.

It even reportedly moved the feast day of San Vicente Mártir - the patron saint of the city - from January 22 to April 14 in order to make this happen.

The motivation for the move was to trial a four-day working week (with no reduction in salary) and study the effects it has on the city and its locals.

The trial was reportedly agreed upon between employers, unions and local government, it will test the impact of a 32-hour working week. 

The study will randomly survey over 2,000 Valencianos in May and June - following the conclusion of the trial period - to try to understand how workers used those four extra days and how it affected them. The study will consider the effect on family, the local environment, mental health, or the consequences that these extra days have on domestic tourism in the city, the local hospitality sector, traffic and the use of public transport.

Joan Ribó - the Mayor of Valencia - explained the thinking behind the trial in local Valencian press, "We just want to ask society if a day like this would be positive. If it would be good for people, for the environment, or for certain productive sectors". 

In addition, Mr Ribó reportedly added that there is a positive consensus (and high expectations) in favour of the trial; citing polling of 2,358 local residents who gave the idea a score of 7.9 points out of 10. 

The idea has proven to be popular across the board with both businesses and unions backing the plan.

Growara - a Valencia-based consultancy firm that implemented a four-day working week back in 2022 - reportedly found the shortened work schedule so beneficial that they now advise their clients to do the same. Growara CEO Julio Braceli told La Vanguardia, "those [companies] that have adopted this schedule have a competitive advantage over others in attracting talent". 

Union leaders also appear positive about the trial period. Ana García Alcolea - secretary general of CCOO-PV - told the local press that its aim is to improve "the working and living conditions of the working class," as well as giving the local economy a boost because "having more leisure is equivalent to more productivity, more consumption and more job generation". 

Valencia now joins cities in countries such as Lithuania, the UK, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Iceland, Portugal and Japan, where similar trials have been carried out. 

The difference with the Valencian trial, however, is that whereas trials in other places have focused primarily on the effect of a shortened working week on business, labour, and public administration, this will have more of a focus on "citizen aspects". 

Mr Ribó has reportedly been keen to highlight that the use of public holidays does not mean an overall reduction in working hours, "The annual calculation of hours worked will not be reduced... This is not a reduction programme. That's not our question, that's the employers'".

The local government also offers subsidies to companies that reduce the working week without cutting employees' salaries. Spain's Ministry of Industry announced in December 2022 that financial aid for SMEs  opting to try the four-day workweek without salary reductions would also be made available. 

The conclusions of the Valencian trial are reportedly expected to be released on July 20.

Source: The Local

(Quotes via original reporting)

The Spanish city of Valencia will begin trialling a four-day working week this month thanks to four consecutive public holidays, The Local reports.

In April, leading into the first week of May, there will be four public holidays on four consecutive Mondays in Valencia. Although this might appear to be a calendar quirk, the consecutive holiday Mondays were the result of a conscious decision made by the local council.

It even reportedly moved the feast day of San Vicente Mártir - the patron saint of the city - from January 22 to April 14 in order to make this happen.

The motivation for the move was to trial a four-day working week (with no reduction in salary) and study the effects it has on the city and its locals.

The trial was reportedly agreed upon between employers, unions and local government, it will test the impact of a 32-hour working week. 

The study will randomly survey over 2,000 Valencianos in May and June - following the conclusion of the trial period - to try to understand how workers used those four extra days and how it affected them. The study will consider the effect on family, the local environment, mental health, or the consequences that these extra days have on domestic tourism in the city, the local hospitality sector, traffic and the use of public transport.

Joan Ribó - the Mayor of Valencia - explained the thinking behind the trial in local Valencian press, "We just want to ask society if a day like this would be positive. If it would be good for people, for the environment, or for certain productive sectors". 

In addition, Mr Ribó reportedly added that there is a positive consensus (and high expectations) in favour of the trial; citing polling of 2,358 local residents who gave the idea a score of 7.9 points out of 10. 

The idea has proven to be popular across the board with both businesses and unions backing the plan.

Growara - a Valencia-based consultancy firm that implemented a four-day working week back in 2022 - reportedly found the shortened work schedule so beneficial that they now advise their clients to do the same. Growara CEO Julio Braceli told La Vanguardia, "those [companies] that have adopted this schedule have a competitive advantage over others in attracting talent". 

Union leaders also appear positive about the trial period. Ana García Alcolea - secretary general of CCOO-PV - told the local press that its aim is to improve "the working and living conditions of the working class," as well as giving the local economy a boost because "having more leisure is equivalent to more productivity, more consumption and more job generation". 

Valencia now joins cities in countries such as Lithuania, the UK, New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, Iceland, Portugal and Japan, where similar trials have been carried out. 

The difference with the Valencian trial, however, is that whereas trials in other places have focused primarily on the effect of a shortened working week on business, labour, and public administration, this will have more of a focus on "citizen aspects". 

Mr Ribó has reportedly been keen to highlight that the use of public holidays does not mean an overall reduction in working hours, "The annual calculation of hours worked will not be reduced... This is not a reduction programme. That's not our question, that's the employers'".

The local government also offers subsidies to companies that reduce the working week without cutting employees' salaries. Spain's Ministry of Industry announced in December 2022 that financial aid for SMEs  opting to try the four-day workweek without salary reductions would also be made available. 

The conclusions of the Valencian trial are reportedly expected to be released on July 20.

Source: The Local

(Quotes via original reporting)