Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo (Quezon City, LP) today pushed for the adoption of a ten-hour, four-day, or 10/4, work week in both public and private sectors to save on cost and enable workers to have extended weekend with their families.
The proposed 10/4 work week formula does not change the traditional 40 hours of work every week, according to Castelo, who is set to file the bill, to be dubbed as the “Four-Day Work Week Act of 2011.”
“It will still be 40 hours a week, but the work schedule will run from Monday to Thursday instead of until Friday. Public and private sector employees will put in two additional hours of work daily,” Castelo said.
“”There won’t be any reduction in the required 40 hours of work every week, nor any cut back in service or productivity,” Castelo said.
Castelo said the 10/4 formula could mean weekly savings of at least 20 percent in work expenses, stressing it can serve as a “poverty alleviation” program by itself for cash-strapped workers.
If a worker in Metro Manila spends P200 a day in transport fare, food and snacks, and other expenses in going to work, or P1,000 every week, Castelo said the 10/4 work week will mean a savings of P200 per week. For workers in the provinces, who spend an average of P100 a day, the weekly savings can reach P100.
Overall, the proposed 10/4 work week could mean weekly savings amounting to at least P20 billion for the over 20 million private sector workers and 1.5 million state employees, Castelo estimated.
The 10/4 work formula seeks to address the economic difficulties caused by rising prices and stagnant wages, Castelo said, as he noted that the continuing increases in the prices of petroleum products have triggered a corresponding rise in the prices of goods and services.
Castelo said the three-day extended weekend can make employees more revitalized and motivated, as they have more time to spend with their families and pursue other activity, including hobby and leisure.
Also, the additional day-off can push workers to pursue other productive activity, including learning new skills to retool himself and hone his competitiveness in the labor market, Castelo said.
In the end, the 10/4 work week can provide a positive impact on the worker’s morale and productivity in the workplace, Castelo said.
For the employers, the 10/4 work formula can result in savings in maintenance cost and employees’ overtime pay, Castelo explained.
Castelo said the 10/4 work week formula is already being enforced at the House of Representatives with what he has described as resounding positive effects and enormous savings on government.
“Employees at the House of Representatives start at 8 am and end up at 7 pm for a total of 10 hours of work every day. Yet service and productivity is never compromised by the shorter work week and longer weekend,” Castelo said. 30
