Short week, the bills arrive in the House

Three legislative proposals, one theme: the short week. Three opposition law proposals signed by Arturo Scotto (PD), Nicola Fratoianni (Green-Left Alliance) and Giuseppe Conte (M5S) arrive in the Chamber's Labor Committee. The texts have different forms, but the same theme and objective and for this reason they are considered together in the XI commission of the Chamber.

The proposals

The text deposited by Nicola Fratoianni already in October 2022 it has 22 articles. The proposal is that of a short week from 34 working hours with equal pay for employees and for those with collaboration contracts. The proposal reminds us that there is a correlation between reduced hours and employment rates, which increase with fewer hours worked. There are categories excluded such as school staff and those of the armed forces and there is no possibility of exceeding 8 hours per day and 40 per week with overtime. The text includes the introduction of a fund to incentivize employers to reduce weekly hours by at least 10%. The fund would be fed by 15% of the overtime pay increases and sanctions. The establishment of a wealth tax would also be envisaged.

The former prime minister Giuseppe Conte he is the first signatory of the 5 Star proposal which would like to grant trade union and employer organizations the possibility of stipulating contracts that provide for the reduction of weekly working hours for the same salary up to a minimum of 32. The hours can be spread on the current week or on the short one made up of 4 days. Employers would, for the first three years, have partial exemption from paying social security and insurance contributions.

The Democratic Party, in the measure presented in October 2023, speaks of «contribution relief to encourage the stipulation of collective agreements aimed at experience the progressive reduction of hours». The salary would remain the same and the incentive for employers would be the exemption of 30% of the total social security contributions due for the trial period. The percentage would rise to 40% for demanding or demanding work.

Who already does it

There are several Italian companies that are already experimenting with or applying short weeks for their employees. Luxottica implemented a trial on a voluntary basis in some departments. There are around 10 thousand workers involved. If the project were to work, the short week would become a permanent fixture in the company starting from January 2025. Intesa Sanpaolo offers a short week of 9 working hours per day and 4 months of smart working per year. Lamborghinis reached an agreement for a 33 and a half hour work week.

Data

Research by the Italian Association for Personnel Management, 93% of HR managers would be in favor of a four-day working week because it would promote work-life balance, improve psychophysical well-being and increase motivation at work. In particular, being able to reconcile private life with work life has become a priority: 55% of Italians are willing to earn less in order to have more free time. Those most in favor of the “short week” are above all the younger ones, those between 25 and 34 years old: 62% of them want more time free from work. This is according to research by Assirm for Confindustria Intellect presented last November.

A report from the 4 Day Week Global association, taken from Financial Times at the end of 2022, he says that working four days, work-life balance and employee satisfaction have increased. The physical and mental health of workers also improved. On the corporate side, revenues grew by an average of 8% with a reduction in absenteeism and resignations. In the 4 days in which one is at work, productivity increases by 25%. The test was done on 70 English companies, but there are examples from Scotland to Japan starting from Iceland.