In Wake Of Crisis, World Reexamines The Work Week

It has long been a European tradition to limit the number of hours employees may work during a given week – the EU imposes a 48-hour restriction under the Working Time Directive. That was before the global economy tanked.

The UK is struggling to hold onto its ability to opt-out of the 48-hour limit in the hopes of giving its workers the opportunity to earn more. Supporters of the restrictions argue that a longer workweek leads to health problems and the exploitation of employees. But in the EU, where public health remains arguably the best in the world, economic growth might be more important.

“Unsurprisingly, the UK government is fighting hard in Brussels to keep the opt-out, and the majority of countries support its retention,” John Cridland of the Confederation of British Industry argues. “It may surprise you that removing the opt-out is even being considered in a recession, when the last thing the economy needs is an extra restriction from Brussels.”

For some companies in the US, hours are being increased, not restricted—take Thomas Weisel, an investment-banking firm that ordered its employees into the office during the Easter holidays via e-mail. “We are getting paid minimum wage for a reason—we are not making money,“ the e-mail allegedly read. "Join Wells Fargo and become a teller if you want to take holidays."

In Serbia, where a four-day workweek is being considered, experts argue that cutting hours can further injure an already wounded economy. Serbian Economic Council member Jurij Bajec explained that the four-day workweek will lower production levels and catapult the country into recession.

But it might be possible to switch to a four-day workweek without damaging production levels or sacrificing much of the health and safety of employees. In Utah last year, an experiment resulted in the switch to 10-hour workdays from Monday through Thursday for state employees in order to conserve energy. The employees now have Fridays off, have kept production levels even, and are using up fewer fuels than before. A seemingly perfect solution -- that is, if companies can afford to keep salaries consistent.