Taiwan evaluating proposal for Asia’s first 4-day work week, but manufacturers ‘won’t approve’
- A petition in Taiwan has attracted over 5,000 signatures, meaning four government ministries will now examine the proposal for a three-day weekend
- Several European countries, including Iceland, Spain and Sweden, already have schemes in place to allow three-day weekends
Taiwanese officials are evaluating a proposal to implement Asia’s first three-day weekend, but the plan is set to face opposition from producers that form the bulk of the export-driven economy.
Four government ministries are examining a petition that reached 5,736 signatures last week, above the 5,000 threshold that requires a government response, according to Huang Wei-chen, director of the Department of Labour Standards and Equal Employment within the Ministry of Labour.
Taiwan’s government-run Central News Agency said the three-day weekend would be a first for Asia.
Japan has previously tested the idea of a four-day work week, while a survey in 2022 by research firm Milieu showed employees in the likes of Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia were open to the idea.
Productively wouldn’t take a hit, but costs would go up
By the end of June, the Taiwanese ministries are set to release an initial appraisal on how the extended weekend would impact the work of schoolteachers, government offices and private enterprises, Huang said.