Johor must have valid rationale for 4.5-day workweek - minister

The Johor government’s proposal of a four-and-a-half-day workweek hinges on its rationale, said Azalina Othman Said.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said the state government must have valid reasons and that the plan now lacks details.

However, the Pengerang MP said technological advancements have transformed traditional working norms.

“Nowadays, no one strictly works eight hours a day. Many people work beyond that because of technology, like smartphones, enabling work outside standard hours,” she said, adding that work hours often depend on the nature of a profession.

“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,” she told reporters after a community dinner in Pengerang last night.

On Thursday (Nov 21), Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced that the state is studying a four-and-a-half-day workweek for the public sector.

This follows the move to revert weekends in the state to Saturday and Sunday starting Jan 1, 2025.

Onn Hafiz said his government is actively improving productivity, including standardising operating hours for service counters across state and federal government offices as well as local authorities.

In 2022, a pilot study in the United Kingdom, involving 61 organisations tested a four-day workweek. Results showed significant benefits, including a 71 percent reduction in employee burnout and a 65 percent decrease in sick leave.

According to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), 89 percent of participating organisations continued with the shorter workweek after the six-month trial, with some reporting revenue growth of up to 34 percent.

- Bernama

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