Workers unshackled from 5-day week in Belgium

Workers in Belgium can choose a four-day workweek under a major labor market reform announced on Tuesday that also gives them the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after hours.

The government's announcement came after the seven-party coalition concluded weeks of debate on the country's labor deal to introduce more flexibility for employees and employers in response to the pandemic.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that Belgium is "far less dynamic" compared with other countries.

"We have experienced two difficult years. With this agreement, we set a beacon for an economy that is more innovative, sustainable and digital," he told a news conference on Tuesday.

Under the new rules, employees can request the four-day workweek in situations where they would work the same amount of time as in a five-day workweek, meaning a total of 38 hours. Employers who reject the request must justify their decisions in writing.

"This has to be done at the request of the employee, with the employer giving solid grounds in case of refusals," Belgian Minister of Economy and Labor Pierre-Yves Dermagne said.

In January, civil employees working for the federal government were given the right to turn off work devices and ignore after-hours messages without reprisal. Under the reform, all Belgian workers, including those in private companies with employees of 20 or more, will enjoy the same right to ignore the messages and emails between 11pm and 5am.

"The boundary between work and private life is becoming increasingly porous. These incessant demands can harm the physical and mental health of the worker," Dermagne said.

Iceland experimented with a four-day week between 2015 and 2019 and it has become the choice of more than 85 percent of the country's workforce. Spain and Scotland have also announced plans for trials. In June, the Japanese government also recommended that companies allow workers to choose a four-day week to fight the country's overwork culture.

De Croo stressed that his coalition government needs to encourage more people to join the workforce, with only 71.4 percent of people aged 20 to 64 in a job now, much lower than in neighboring Germany and the Netherlands. The goal for the Belgian government is to reach 80 percent by 2030.

"Although the coronavirus is widely seen as having a negative impact on employees, it has forced us to work more flexibly and combine our private and working lives. This has led to new ways of working," De Croo said.

Agencies contributed to this story.