Researcher Joan Sanchis, member of the Econcult research group at the University of Valencia, will participate as a speaker in the forum ‘Working Time Reduction in Europe: Policies, Practices and Perspectives’.
The event will take place on 20 November at the European Parliament (Brussels). The meeting, organised by the European Work-Time Network (EWTN) and hosted by MEPs Vicent Marzà (Greens/EFE) and Estrella Galán (The Left), will bring together experts, trade unions and policy makers to discuss policies for reducing working time in Europe.
During his speech, Sanchis will present some of the results and conclusions of his doctoral thesis, recently defended at the University of Valencia under the supervision of professors Raúl de Arriba Bueno and Josep Banyuls Llopis. His research analyses the political and social conditions that have enabled the four-day working week to be promoted in several European countries, highlighting how this measure opens ‘a window of opportunity towards a new social contract’ that is beneficial for both companies and workers. The empirical results obtained in pilot programmes in Portugal, the United Kingdom and the Valencian Community show improvements in productivity, well-being and talent attraction.
Sanchis will also emphasise that the increased availability of free time resulting from the reduction in working hours has a positive impact on citizens' cultural and creative participation. According to the results of the pilot experiment in the city of Valencia in 2022, the increase in available time translated into an increase in cultural practices, reinforcing the idea of the ‘right to time’ as a new backbone of labour policies. With this contribution, the Econcult researcher will help to place scientific evidence at the centre of the European debate on the future of work.
