One group of court employees is scheduled to report onsite 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, while another second group is to work at the same time slot, but Tuesday-Friday. This way, judicial service will not be compromised. While the workweek is only four days, court operations still remain at five days weekly.
In a column late last year, I recall citing a report on Iceland and how their government offices actually benefitted from a shorter workweek; how productivity rose enough to ensure that all services were still provided as needed; and, as a consequence of the study, why 86% of Icelanders would eventually have the right to a shorter workweek of four days.that reported on a new study in Iceland which documented “the recent success of one of the largest experiments to date on a reduced workweek.
Fewer days but more work is the main argument locally against a shorter workweek. No work-no pay arrangements also lead to lower income for many day workers. And this is where the local system must change. Fewer days, fewer hours, but better pay can work, if remuneration is based on output, productivity, and efficiency, and not just on the number of days or hours worked.