Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin proposes four-day working week and six-hour days

6 January 2020, 09:34

Sanna Marin said people should be able to spend more time with their families
Sanna Marin said people should be able to spend more time with their families. Picture: PA

By Maddie Goodfellow

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has said she believes a four-day working week with six-hour days would allow people to enjoy hobbies, culture and spend more time with their families.

She has called for a flexible working schedule in the country to improve the productivity of workers and create greater work-life balance.

In Finland, it is currently normal to work eight hours per day, five days per week.

The suggestion follows in the footsteps of neighbouring Sweden, where the six-hour day has applied since 2015.

Ms Marin says she hopes her proposal will let citizens spend more time with their families and pursue their hobbies.

"I believe people deserve to spend more time with their families, loved ones, hobbies and other aspects of life, such as culture," the Prime Minister told new Europe.

"This could be the next step for us in working life."

The proposal has seen support from politicians in Finland, including the minister of education Li Andersson, the leader of the Left Alliance.

She said: "It is important to allow Finnish citizens to work less. It is not a question of governing with a feminine style but offering help and keeping promises to voters."

Workers would only be in four days under new plans
Workers would only be in four days under new plans. Picture: PA

The coalition headed up by Ms Marin has demanded a test run for the new schedule to acknowledge the 120th anniversary of the Social Democratic Party in the city of Turku.

Ms Marin also pushed for a shorter working week to improve employee rapport and productivity when she was Minister of Transport.

During her time as Minister of Transport and Communications, she said: “A four-day work week, a six-hour workday. Why couldn’t it be the next step?

"Is eight hours really the ultimate truth?"

She heads up the centre-left coalition which consists of five parties all headed up by women, three of which are under 35.

34-year-old Ms Marin is the second youngest head of government in the world, having assumed office on December 10, 2019.

The idea is also being trialled by some businesses, with Microsoft Japan introducing a four-day week for their employees in November.

Productivity levels rose by 39.9 per cent, the company reports.

New Zealand legal company Perpetual Guardian also made headlines in 2018 for introducing a four-day work week. 

Founder Andrew Barnes said: "Our productivity has gone up, our profits have gone up, our staff retention has improved, our stress levels have dropped."

Some experts have also suggest that shorter working weeks will be beneficial to the environment as well as workers.

Philipp Frey, agenda contributor at the World Economic Forum, said: “Our current working time and lifestyle models are deeply intertwined with a fundamentally unsustainable economy.”

He added: “This demands us to endure long commutes due to overpriced housing and eat carbon-intensive, frozen foods since we lack the time to prepare decent quality meals ourselves.”

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Emergency and rescue personnel work at the site where a concrete outdoor roof of a train station collapsed in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad

Train station canopy collapses in Serbia, killing 8 people in horror accident, with more victims still trapped in rubble

Two people look out over an area affected by floods in Chiva, Spain

More than 200 confirmed dead in 'devastating' flash floods as red rain alert issued for Spanish region

Jose 28

Tributes pour in for former Valencia footballer, 28, killed in Spanish flash floods - as up to 400 feared dead

At least two people have died and six injured when a gunman opened fire on Halloween party-goers in Orlando

Two dead and six injured as gunman opens fire in Halloween horror shooting in Orlando

Desperate hunt for survivors as Spanish death toll passes 158 with mobs and looters striking shops across Valencia

Desperate hunt for survivors as mobs and looters strike shops across Valencia after 'apocalyptic' floods

The suspect is escorted by police officers to a park for video reconstruction of a crime scene

British businessman charged with murder in Hong Kong after housekeeper found drowned under waterfall

Shocking aerial footage shows extent of flood damage in Spain, with at least 95 confirmed dead so far

Shocking aerial footage shows extent of flood damage in Spain, as bridge seen being wiped out by raging torrent

Thom Yorke Performs In Auckland

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke walks off stage after being heckled by pro-Palestine protester in audience

Emma Lovell and her husband Lee confronted two teenagers at their home in Brisbane

Australian teenager cleared of murdering British woman who confronted intruders during home break-in

Pedestrians stand next to piled up cars following deadly floods in Sedavi, south of Valencia

Spanish government declares three days of mourning after 95 die and dozens missing in flash floods

News broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test

North Korea claims to have tested new intercontinental ballistic missile

Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue

Lebanon's caretaker PM says Israel Hezbollah ceasefire could be 'hours' away

The fine came following complaints by 17 Russian TV channels after their accounts on YouTube were blocked

Russian court fines Google more money than the world's GDP

Several people have died in Spain after floods

British man among dead after Spain hit by flash flooding - as cars swept away and rescuers scour waters for bodies

Racoon

German butcher sells racoon sausages in bid combat rodent plague

Several people have died in Spain after floods

At least 72 dead after Spain hit by flash flooding - as cars swept away and rescuers scour muddy waters for bodies