In response to the introduction of a pilot programme for a four-day work week in Namibia, the labour, industrial relations and employment-creation ministry remains open to considering innovative approaches to enhance work-life balance and productivity within the domestic workforce.
This comes as Namibian employers have questioned the practicality of a four-day work week, stating that the concept is far-fetched due to a unique domestic environment, characterised by relatively low productivity and high unemployment.
The four-day work week pilot programme, which is gaining traction in many developed countries, is locally spearheaded by Pulse HR Network Namibia. It is expected to be implemented by selected businesses, and scheduled for six months as from April 2024.
“There are, however, crucial aspects that the lawmakers and implementers need to analyse and research on as a nation in order to make an informed decision that would not disadvantage our economy in the long run. Furthermore, any decision regarding the introduction of a four-day work week in Namibia would need to be informed by thorough discussions, consultations and consensus-building among government entities, employers and workers’ representatives,” stated acting executive director in the ministry, Aune Mudjanima.
Responding to New Era queries, she said the ministry acknowledges the growing body of research indicating employees tend to be more productive and experience higher levels of satisfaction when they have sufficient rest and a work-life balance.
“While recognising the potential benefits of a four-day work week, the ministry emphasises the importance of comprehensive research, discussions and consultations among all key stakeholders before deciding and implementing such initiatives,” Mudjanima added.
She further emphasised that the labour ministry operates in a tripartite environment. Therefore, it cannot endorse nor dismiss the four-day work week pilot programme without the views of its social partners.
“Thus, the ministry emphasises the importance of inclusive decision-making processes involving all relevant stakeholders, including government entities, employers and workers’ representatives. Any endorsement of such a pilot programme would require careful consideration of its potential implications for the broader labour landscape, consideration of possible law reforms, and the socio-economic context of Namibia”.
Meanwhile, the Namibian Employers Federation (NEF) told New Era that it has not been formally consulted on this matter.
“The notion of a four-day work week in Namibia seems a bit far-fetched. We work under very different circumstances than in some of the European countries, where the concept of a four-day work week is also being explored, to the extent that in fact it has impacted legislation in some countries, for example Belgium. Namibia’s circumstances are very different. We have a very high unemployment rate.
The distribution of employment in various sectors is also entirely different,” stated Helene Ochs, acting secretary general of the NEF.
“Most employment in the private sector still falls in the primary sectors such as farming, fishing and mining. Although we have seen a reduction of opportunities in the secondary sector such as in manufacturing and construction, we can anticipate that this will change in consonance with conducive government policies and legislation,” she added.
“Generally, it is doubtful whether a shorter working week will lead to higher productivity levels in our country. The current measured productivity levels of Namibian employees are believed not to compare well with other countries…When we look at the needs of every employee in our country, a large part of our workforce still requires fundamental needs to be fulfilled. That would include their physiological needs such as food and shelter.
Their safety needs would also take priority before the need for self-actualisation. A four-day work week might positively impact the latter, but that would be more appropriate in an environment where some of the fundamental needs have already been adequately met, such as in some European countries,” Ochs stressed.
Also commenting on the pilot programme, CEO of the Construction Industries Federation of Namibia Bärbel Kirchner said: “at first glance, it might sound attractive to business as well as employees; greater productivity, managing the same workload in four days instead of five days a week, and having more free time. But are we in Namibia ready for this? The question is also, whether it is at all feasible to conduct the research by selected private sector companies, as Pulse HR proposes. Applicability in countries with high unemployment levels, and where the level of skill is not enough to meet the requirements of local and international investors or indeed existing businesses, would need to be examined”.
Kirchner said to achieve both a reduction of work hours for the individual and a return on investment might lead to an increase in shift work, which in turn would lead to additional business costs.
“Of course, some might want to argue that it can lead to the reduction of unemployment overall in a country. But that would only work if a four-day week would go hand-in-hand with a reduction of pay to the individual, to manage the related increase in costs for business.
If the increase in productivity is, however, so much higher that it would cover the increase in costs, then it would be interesting. That is highly unlikely in the construction sector. Here, we need to take into consideration the cost of administration, training and managing employees, the cost of overheads, and employee benefits. You must remember that in construction, one is working with tight deadlines, and to remain competitive, one needs to continue to work towards established and realistic deadlines,” she continued.
Meanwhile, president of the Namibian Employers Association (NEA) Henry Bruwer called the four-day work week pilot programme “a pipe dream that is far removed from reality”.
Citing several negative impacts of a four-day work week, he stated: “Our economy is facing growth challenges, with high interest rates and high unemployment the order of the day.
Productivity has always been an issue within many industries, and a shorter work week might just further impact on that productivity”.