‘This is the future of work’: BC Greens continue to back 4-day work week

There are seven weeks to go until British Columbia’s provincial election on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Three of those will be four-day work weeks thanks to the Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Thanksgiving long weekends.

It’s the busiest stretch of the year for statutory holidays, but if the BC Green Party have their way, the entire year will look like that.

The provincial party, now firmly third in the polls after BC United suspended its campaign on Wednesday, says it continues to back a four-day work week to promote a healthier work-life balance.

“We can boost our province's productivity while giving British Columbians a much-needed break,” said Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Greens.

“We're working to make that a reality through a four-day workweek for those exhausted by rising costs, burnout, inadequate healthcare, long commutes and more.”

A release from the BC Greens claims that evidence from pilots and trials in BC, Canada and beyond show that a four-day work week benefits both businesses and employees.

If put in a position of power, the party says it has a plan to incentivize the shift and ease the burden on businesses while making them more attractive to top talent.

“This is the future of work - it’s time for us to catch up and recognize it,” added Fursteneau. “We look forward to unveiling more in our platform.”

The BC Greens first introduced the four-day work week concept in 2020 and advanced the initiative by proposing a pilot project in February 2023.

According to the party, data shows that 93% of Canadians are interested in a four-day work week, a movement that is “rapidly gaining traction worldwide.”