Party calls for four-day work week pilot in B.C.

The BC Green Party is calling on the NDP government to try out a four-day work week across the province.

Party leader Sonia Furstenau would like to see a three year pilot program of a shortened work week including tax break incentives for businesses

“It’s time British Columbians had a better work-life balance,” Furstenau, the MLA for Cowichan Valley, said. “People are exhausted from trying to keep up with rising costs of living, inadequate healthcare, and working through a pandemic. Business owners and managers are facing a significant labour shortage and are struggling to keep employees.

“We should be rethinking what it means to work. A four-day workweek – without cuts to pay or working longer hours – is exactly the kind of innovative, people-first approach that can spark renewal in our workplaces.

As part of the pilot, the Greens say businesses would be required to report data to the province to better determine how to balance reduced work hours and maintain the same rate of pay with benchmarks like productivity, employee wellbeing, and employer satisfaction.

The party would also like to the government to publish reports of the data and findings of the pilot every year, with a final report to be made at the conclusion of the program.

“Results from pilots and trials in B.C., across Canada, and around the world prove that a four-day week is good for businesses and good for people,” Furstenau added. “The evidence is clear, workers want a shortened week, and businesses face better outcomes for it. We are calling for this government to build on the successes of the many pilots from around the world and take the next step of incentivizing a four-day work week with a tax break.