A quarter of employers in Belgium say they cannot universally apply the full-time four-day working week in their company, according to a survey by HR firm Securex.
Next week, it will become possible throughout the private sector to ask for a four-day working week as a full-time employee. Although it will now legally be possible, employers can refuse but must give reasons for doing so.
A quarter of employers say in the Securex survey that the scheme is not generally applicable in their company.
The main reasons are that certain jobs require five working days of permanence or that the impact on business, departmental or team activity would be too great. Especially companies in manufacturing, hospitality and retail find the system difficult to apply.
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A four-day workweek would help maintain a work-life balance, according to a survey by researchers at the University of Ghent.
While employees don't necessarily think it will decrease pressure at work, the biggest expected benefits are to be able to relax more easily at home, obtain a better work-life balance, and give more space to personal relationships outside work.
