A debate erupted last week between proponents and opponents of extending the weekend to three days. This article examines the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal.

 

Historically, the weekend vacation evolved in stages. Regular days off were absent in agrarian societies. In Europe, Sunday was a day of religious rest, while in Islamic countries, Friday was a day of congregational prayer, not necessarily a day of rest.

 

In the 19th century, with the Industrial Revolution, the idea of ​​a six-day work week emerged, and labor unions began to advocate for reduced working hours. This culminated in Britain adopting a half-day Saturday and a full-day Sunday as its weekend.

 

At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1908, some factories adopted Saturday and Sunday as working days in response to the wishes of Jewish and Christian workers. This was followed by the passage of the American Labor Act of 1938, which established a 40-hour work week and mandated a two-day weekend. After World War II, the two-day weekend became the global standard.

 

Countries have chosen different days of the week for the two-day weekend, for economic and social reasons (such as protecting workers' health and increasing productivity, boosting consumer spending through increased shopping and entertainment, promoting domestic tourism, and strengthening family and social bonds).

 

Consequently, in Europe, the United States, East Asia, and most of the rest of the world, the weekend is Saturday and Sunday. The Friday-Saturday weekend is often the preferred model in Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan. There are also hybrid models, such as in the UAE, where the weekend is half-day on Friday and the full weekend (Saturday and Sunday).

 

Moreover, there are recent global experiments with adopting a three-day weekend, especially since economic research and studies by the International Labour Organization indicate that reducing working hours increases productivity and reduces absenteeism and stress. Iceland reduced working hours without cutting wages, and productivity did not decline; in some cases, it even improved, and employee well-being was enhanced. In 2022, the UK conducted a national trial of a three-day weekend, and 92% of companies continued to implement it after the trial, which resulted in reduced burnout and increased job satisfaction. In Japan, Microsoft adopted this practice, resulting in a 40% increase in productivity, along with a decrease in energy consumption and production costs. Pilot projects are underway in countries like Spain and Belgium. Ultimately, most experiments implementing a four-day workweek maintain the number of working hours and focus on increasing efficiency.

 

Regarding the number of working days per year, Jordan's is lower than in some developed countries. Germany has 230 working days annually, Japan 245, and the United States 249. The actual number of working days per year for the private sector in Jordan is approximately 240-250, after deducting weekends, annual leave (14-21 days), and official and religious holidays, which are not counted as part of annual leave. The actual number of working days may be as low as 235 due to unforeseen official holidays. Therefore, the economic cost of any increase in holidays must be carefully considered.

 

The economic cost of a three-day weekend can be calculated by dividing the GDP by the number of daily working hours and subtracting potential productivity gains, increased tourism and spending, and savings in operating costs.

 

The benefits of a three-day weekend include increased productivity (reduced fatigue and improved performance, increased focus during workdays), a boost to the local economy (increased domestic tourism, increased spending on entertainment and restaurants), reduced unemployment (distributing work among a larger workforce, increasing part-time jobs), improved mental and social well-being (reduced burnout, improved work-life balance), and lower operating costs (reduced energy and transportation consumption).

 

On the other hand, the disadvantages of a three-day weekend include a decrease in total working hours (if productivity is not increased), a negative impact on service sectors (e.g., banks, government agencies, international trade), a loss of competitiveness if competing countries are working harder and producing more, and potential difficulties in implementation in the industrial sector.

 

In conclusion, Jordan operates within the global average for working days, and a three-day holiday may raise welfare and productivity, but it also carries economic risks. Therefore, the benefits and drawbacks of such a trend, which stems from the desire to improve the citizens' welfare, must be calculated.

 

The writer is a former Minister of State for Government Affairs.