KOTA TINGGI: Johor’s proposal to implement a four-and-a-half-day work week for the public sector depends on the state government’s rationale for it, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (pic).
Saying the state government must have valid reasons for it, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said personally, she felt that technological advancements and rapid development have transformed traditional working norms.
“Nowadays, no one strictly works eight hours a day. Many work beyond that because technology, like the use of smartphones, enables work outside standard hours,” she said, adding that work hours also often depended on the nature of the job.
“Certain jobs demand more than eight to 10 hours a day, while some can be performed remotely.
“As we head into 2025, we must adopt a more open-minded approach, especially with technology evolving so rapidly,” the Pengerang MP told reporters after a community dinner in her constituency on Saturday night, Bernama reported.
On Thursday, Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced that Johor was studying a four-and-a-half-day work week for the public sector, following the move to revert state weekend holidays to Saturday and Sunday from Jan 1, 2025.
He said the state government was actively improving productivity and service delivery, including standardising operating hours for service counters across state and federal offices as well as at the local authorities.
In 2022, a pilot study in the United Kingdom involving 61 organisations tested a four-day work week over six months.
Results showed significant benefits, including a 71% reduction in employee burnout and 65% decrease in sick leave.
According to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), 89% of participating organisations continued with the shorter work week after the trial period, with some reporting revenue growth of up to 34%.
