‘10-hour, 4-day workweek can ease heavy traffic’

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo yesterday proposed a 10-hour, four-day workweek to ease traffic congestion and give workers more time with their families during weekends.

He said his proposal does not change the required 40 hours of work a worker is required to render every week.

“It will still be 40 hours a week, but the work schedule will run from Monday to Thursday instead of until Friday. Public and private sector employees will put in two additional hours of work daily,” he explained.

Workers could also save on transportation money since they would not have to work on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Castelo noted that the employees’ three-day extended weekend could make them more revitalized and motivated, as they have more time to spend with their families and pursue other activities, including hobby and leisure.

For employers, a 10-hour, four-day workweek could result in savings in maintenance cost and employees’ overtime pay.

Castelo suggested that for a start, government and private agencies could experiment on it on an optional basis. If it works, it could be contained in a regulation or law so it would apply to all.

Castelo cited the case of the House of Representatives, where employees start work at 8 a.m. and go home at 7 p.m. from Monday through Thursday.

The government has been trying to find solutions to the worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

President Aquino has floated the idea of reviving the old odd-even scheme for vehicles, but critics of this arrangement said it would favor the rich who have the money to buy more cars, so they have at least one vehicle to use every day.

There have also been suggestions from concerned citizens to stagger the work schedule to ease traffic congestion during rush hours.