Finland’s new PM Sanna Marin called for a four-day working week or SIX-HOUR days in radical proposal to improve work-life balance
- Sanna Marin, 34, said it would allow workers to spend more time with family
- In Finland currently it is normal to work eight hours per day, five days per week
- Sweden trialled six-hour working day in 2015, found it increased productivity
The new Finnish Prime Minister has called for discussion of a flexible working schedule for her country - a four-day-week or six-hour working day.
Sanna Marin, 34, - the second youngest head of government in the world - posted her ideas on Twitter late last year, saying it would allow workers to spend more time with their families.
`Shorter working hours can and should be discussed. A 4-day week or a 6-hour day with a decent wage may be a utopia today, but may be true in the future,' she said.
The mother-of-one leads a centre-left coalition with four other parties which are all headed by women, three of which are under 35.
Finland's new Prime Minister last year revealed her vision for a flexible working schedule in the country that would involve a four-day-week or six-hour working day
She said: 'I believe people deserve to spend more time with their families, loved ones, hobbies and other aspects of life, such as culture.
'This could be the next step for us in working life.'
At the time of her comments, a few months before she became Prime Minister, Marin held the position of Minister for Transport.
While in office in that position, Marin advocated for shorter work weeks to improve employee rapport and productivity.
In Finland currently it is normal to work eight hours per day, five days per week.
The proposal was immediately welcomed with enthusiasm by the minister of education Li Andersson, the leader of the Left Alliance.
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The mother-of-one leads a centre-left coalition with four other parties which are all headed by women, three of which are under 35
She said: 'It is important to allow Finnish citizens to work less. It is not a question of governing with a feminine style but offering help and keeping promises to voters '.
In neighbouring Sweden, where the six-hour-day working day was trialled in 2015, results showed that employees were happier, wealthier and more productive.
In early December Finland's ruling Social Democratic Party council voted 32-29 to name Sanna Marin over rival Antti Lindtman to take over the government's top post from incumbent Antti Rinne.
In November Microsoft Japan took a bold move in a bid to improve work-life balance by introducing a three-day weekend for their employees.
The results showed that productivity went up by a staggering 39.9 per cent.
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