The Premier says he’s ‘intrigued’ by the idea of a four-day work week in the province.
John Horgan was asked about a report by the Fraser Institute, which suggests Canadians can enjoy a four day work week by 2030, if productivity increases.
“It’s a bit into the future and I don’t want to discourage the Fraser Institute or anyone else from bringing forward good ideas,” he said. “One of the advantages and opportunities we have coming out of a pandemic, is nothing should be off the table.”
The study found that if worker productivity grew by two per cent per year from 2018 through to 2030, Canadians could work four days per week, and not just longer work days, with no loss of living standards.
It went on to say that between 2010 to 2016, productivity in Canada increased by 1.05 per cent each year, noting that two per cent annual productivity growth rates were ‘common’ in earlier decades.
“If governments pursue policies that encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, worker productivity will rise and Canadians will be able to enjoy more leisure time,”
said Fraser Institute Senior Fellow Steven Globerman, the author of Reducing the Workweek Through Improved Productivity report.
Horgan admitted he doesn’t often peruse through Fraser Institute reports, but he says we should be ‘unafraid to have those discussions.’
“Anyone out there who has an idea, we want to hear about it. We will be expanding our recovery plan in the weeks ahead, and we will have more to say about that either at this podium or elsewhere,” noted Horgan. “We need new ideas, good ideas, and again, I say, without any hesitation, if the Fraser Institute has good ideas and they want to bring them forward, I look forward to that.”
B.C. Green Party leadership candidate Sonia Furstenau has proposed a similar four day work week idea in the province, but it drew criticism from former party leader Andrew Weaver, who called it a complicated issue.
The four day work week idea has also been floated in New Zealand by Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern as a way to boost productivity and domestic tourism in that country while improving work-life balance post COVID-19.
This is an absolutely kooky idea. We aren’t New Zealand. U clearly haven’t thought this through as it’s far more complicated than just a few sound bites & a tweet. Perhaps u should do background research before shooting from the hip. Classic decision-based evidence-making #bcpoli
— Andrew Weaver (@AJWVictoriaBC) May 24, 2020
