A BC political leader is calling on the government to introduce a four-day workweek across the province.
The leader in question is Sonia Furstenau, the head of the BC Green Party, who tweeted that “people are exhausted from trying to keep up with rising costs of living, inadequate healthcare, and working through a pandemic.”
Today I am calling on this government to pilot a four-day workweek across the province. 1/ #bcpoli #4DayWorkWeek pic.twitter.com/PglB67tOqq
ā Sonia Furstenau (@SoniaFurstenau) February 23, 2023
Furstenau said that she wants this pilot not to impact the amount people are paid and doesn’t want to see people working longer hours.
Many places worldwide and in Canada have done trials around a four-day workweek, including right here in BC.
Last year, Merritt said it was introducing a four-day workweek pilot for a whole year for City of Merritt staff. Merritt introduced the pilot idea due to concerns about staff retention and morale.
“It’s time BCers had a better work-life balance,” Furstenau continued in a tweet thread.
“Results from pilots and trials in BC, across Canada, and around the world prove that a four-day week is good for businesses and good for people.”
Furstenau says, “working more hours does not mean working better.”
“The time has come to test a new way of working that fits in the world we want to shape. This pilot would be the start of renewing our economy towards better working conditions, well-being, and a healthier life.”
Furstenau also brought the idea forward in 2020.
Most people have responded positively to Furstenau’s tweet, with one person saying, “good idea,” another saying, “more of this please,” and one person simply tweeting, “š„.”
One person was on the other side of the fence, suggesting it wouldn’t work in their industry.
A poll conducted last year suggested most Canadians would welcome a shortened workweek. How would you feel about a four-day workweek across BC? Let us know in the comments.