Sorry for the Dutch article, but it appears that more and more companies in the Netherlands are experimenting with a 4 day workweek for the same pay! Hopefully this will become the new normal. 🙌
I don't think I can ever go back to working 5 days a week. It's not worth it.
What's also interesting is the role of women in this. Currently 73.8% of Dutch women work parttime, versus 23% of men. Traditionally because gov policy motivated women to stay home with the kids. Nowadays however, a lot of childless/childfree women choose to work parttime. Myself and all my friends included.
The government is crying out to get women to work 40 hours (“think of the economy!”), but why would they. Instead I've seen many men - especially fathers - decrease their hours too. 🥳
@Gina So yes, I'm a father, but between my wife and me, it's her who has the "passion" job : she works in 3D animation. I do more an "invoice" work and I would have no problem to reduce my hours to take care more of mini-us. But in France, there's absolutely nothing to push more parity about that, we (fathers) have only 11 calendar days at the birth of a child ... 🤦♂️
@danslerush here's it only 5 days for fathers. Absolutely ridiculous. There is however a strong societal push for 4 day workweeks for men, with a slow introduction of 'daddy day.' Still hugely insulting, because it portrays dad as a babysitter instead of a primary caretaker, but it's better than nothing.
We still have a long way to go to give men the same rights and privileges as women.
@Gina @danslerush Here in the US we get 2 weeks paternal leave, though it is unpaid. I'm not sure how a 4 day week would work for my line of work. My wife stays home to raise the baby and run the household, except for 3hrs/week part time work which is more for her mental health. Most people can't swing this financially, but the alternative seems so painful and warped when mothers have to leave their babies with others to go back to work.
