Less Is More

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The Dominican Republic will launch a six-month pilot program aimed at creating a four-day workweek for employees in public and private companies, the first of its kind in the Caribbean country and part of a global trend seeking to improve the work-life balance of employees, the Associated Press reported.

The government said the initiative will begin in February, and employees will see a reduction in the standard workweek from the required 44 hours to 36 hours. Employees will work from Monday to Thursday but will earn the same salary.

The companies expected to participate include Latin America’s telecommunication giant, Claro, and the government’s National Health Insurance Agency.

A local university will monitor and analyze the results, including changes in employees’ health, their relationship to work, and their personal lives.

Labor Minister Luis Miguel de Camps hailed the program, saying it prioritizes people’s well-being and promotes “sustainable and environmentally friendly productivity.”

The Dominican Republic is emulating the United Kingdom’s example, which conducted the world’s largest trial of a four-day workweek last year, reporting positive results.

Similarly, an increasing number of US companies are adopting a shorter workweek, while in Chile, legislators approved a bill last year to reduce the standard work hours from 45 to 40 hours per week.