'People are exhausted': Calls for B.C. government to pilot 4-day work week
Should B.C. businesses switch to a four-day work week? The provincial Green Party thinks so.
On Thursday, The Greens called on the governing BC NDP to pilot a tax break for businesses that make the switch to a shorter work week.
The three-year project would follow a model recently adopted in the U.S. state of Maryland, where lawmakers are offering businesses up to US$750,000 in tax credits over five years to incentivize the change.
"It's time British Columbians had a better work-life balance," said Sonia Furstenau, leader of the B.C. Greens, in a news release.
“People are exhausted from trying to keep up with rising costs of living, inadequate health care, and working through a pandemic. Business owners and managers are facing a significant labour shortage and are struggling to keep employees."
Furstenau pitched a four-day work week as a solution to these problems, calling it a "people-first approach that can spark renewal in our workplaces."
The Green leader cited pilot projects from Canada and elsewhere in the world that have shown positive results, including consistent or improved productivity, despite people working fewer hours.
"The evidence is clear," Furstenau said. "Workers want a shortened week, and businesses face better outcomes for it. We are calling for this government to build on the successes of the many pilots from around the world and take the next step of incentivizing a four-day work week with a tax break."
The Greens' proposal calls for businesses to maintain existing salaries while reducing standard working hours by one day – from 40 hours a week to 32, in typical cases.
To support the transition, businesses would receive a tax break, but they'd be required to report data to the province "to better determine how to balance reduced work hours and maintain the same rate of pay." Data collected would measure "benchmarks like productivity, employee wellbeing, and employer satisfaction," the party says.
Furstenau described the tax break proposal as a "business-friendly approach" that would allow businesses the flexibility to figure out what works in their specific situation.
“B.C. businesses are facing rising costs – inflation, paid sick days, EHT, rising federal taxes – and many are struggling to hire and retain skilled workers," the Green leader said. "A tax break would help them in a time where every penny counts, and a four-day week without a reduction in salary would help attract talented employees."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Toronto eliminated from PWHL playoffs
Toronto has been eliminated from the PWHL playoffs.
Information commissioner faces $700K funding shortfall, says system is 'overwhelmed'
Canada's information commissioner says her office is facing a $700,000 funding shortfall that could impact its ability to investigate complaints about government transparency and accountability.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.
Dabney Coleman, actor who specialized in curmudgeons, dies at 92
Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in '9 to 5' and the nasty TV director in 'Tootsie,' has died. He was 92.
Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.