Belgian working week is the way forward, says UK think-tank

A shorter working week, based on the Belgian model,  should become the norm, enabling people to get better value from their time, according to a new book published by independent think-tank the New Economics Foundation, reports the London Evening Standard. "It's time to make 'part-time' the new 'full-time',” says Anna Coote (pictured), the NEF’s head of social policy. "We must rethink the way we divide up our hours between paid and unpaid activities, and make sure everyone has a fair share of free time." In the newly published NEF book, Time On Our Side, experts argue that a shorter standard working week would help create more jobs for the unemployed and give people a better chance to live more fulfilling and sustainable lives. Aiming for a 30-hour week could be possible through gradual changes to the labour market, it was suggested. It was claimed that following the lead of Belgium, the government should give all workers a right to request shorter hours, and increase the minimum wage. Companies should be encouraged to give workers more time off instead of pay rises. Young people starting out in the job market could also work a four-day week, as has happened in the Netherlands, it was noted. Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany have shown it is possible to make changes like these without weakening their economies, it was claimed.