Despite an allure for employees, 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 is being debated after Namibia is set to become the second African country to partially implement the concept, which could eventually redefine the traditional work week. According to reports, the four-day work week pilot programme, spearheaded by Pulse HR Network Namibia, is scheduled for six months as from April 2024. However, the Namibian Employers Federation (NEF) told New Era that there has been no formal consultation with it on this matter. 

Namibian Employers Federation 

“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. 

She added: “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”. 

Ochs continued that greater focus on the beneficiation of raw materials, local value- addition, the localisation of the construction sector and on providing incentives for the manufacturing industry would improve the employment prospects for the secondary sector. She noted that while the services sector, such as IT and communications, insurance and financial services might be more receptive to the idea of a four-day week, tourism and hospitality, education and medical services as well as businesses in the primary and secondary sectors would struggle. “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 is 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 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. 

“In Namibia, we are still working at achieving basic conditions that can be conducive to ensuring better-motivated employees. Currently, at national level, there are discussions about the introduction of a minimum wage as well as a national pension fund, where the employer will be expected to make a contribution. This will increase the cost to business. At the same time, there are relevant legislated instruments with the aim of improving the skills levels within the workplace, which can ultimately improve productivity”. 

Construction Industries Federation 

Weighing in on the debate, 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 added: “Principally, it requires a high level of work ethic, and presumably existing optimal productivity, which can be further improved upon. Do we have that? Leaders, managers and supervisors would need to be exceptionally skilled in leading and managing their teams and delegate effectively, and the employee would need to have the right foundation and attitude, from which to embark on. Otherwise, it might simply lead to a shift of the workload within the organisation from one person to another. Naturally, roles and functions need to be clear, expectation and targets need to be fine-tuned, with consequences for non-performance”. 

 “The current reality probably is that productivity is such that really only 40% of work is being done in 100% of the time. From an employee motivation perspective, one very important aspect to consider is the under-utilisation of an employee; that means when a person just sits around and is idle. Under-utilisation can lead to employee dissatisfaction, decreasing engagement and reduced productivity. That means employees need to be better-managed to achieve their optimal potential. In this case, the reduction of work hours is not the solution. Here, we also need to think of how many persons are employed in the public service, and the implications of that”, she noted.  

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.  

Namibian Employers Association 

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”.