The proposal of a four-day working week, which has been discussed for a long time, is certainly well received by the Austrians. In a recent survey, half were in favor of such a system. The agreement is particularly strong among young people: 68 percent of young people under the age of 30 would like to be able to decide for themselves.
Half of Austrians would be happy with a legally enshrined choice between a four- or five-day working week with the same total working time. This is evident from a recent Spectra study. Among 15 to 29-year-olds, 68 percent are in favor, among the over-50s only 40 percent. On average, only 15 percent of the population rejects the idea.
Men more than women
In March and April, the Linz opinion research institute surveyed 1,031 people over the age of 15. Accordingly, 24 percent would strongly support the option and 26 percent would rather support it, 12 percent would prefer and three percent strongly oppose it.
A third had no opinion. Men are more attached to the idea than women, Eastern Austrians more than Western Austrians, but the most noticeable difference is in the age group.
fear of overload
Reasons for adopting such a model are mainly “more free time” and – especially for the boys – “more days off/a long weekend”. Moreover, the positive people justified this by saying that they would still have the choice.
Those who are skeptical of the idea justify their rejection by saying that working eight hours a day is enough, not every job is right for it, and fearing employee overload.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
