CAGAYAN DE ORO -- As debates over labor productivity and worker welfare intensify, the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition is urging the Philippine government to pilot a six-hour workday, arguing that longer working hours do not necessarily translate to higher productivity and may instead lead to fatigue, health risks, and inefficiency.
In an interview with Gold Star Daily, Atty. Jose Sonny Matula, president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) and former chairperson of the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, said the proposal is not a blanket demand but an evidence-based call to pilot reduced working hours across selected industries.
“Why insist on a 10-hour workday when workers are already stretched by the ordinary eight-hour day?” Matula said.
“Beyond that, what often increases is not productivity but fatigue, stress, mistakes, and less time for family and life.”
Testing productivity, not assumptions
The coalition is proposing sector-by-sector trials of a six-hour workday under a compressed or four-day workweek arrangement.
The pilot programs, Matula said, should measure key indicators such as output levels, error rates, absenteeism, energy consumption, worker health, and employee turnover.
“We are not saying cut hours blindly and hope for the best,” he explained. “We are saying let’s experiment, measure, and learn.”
The labor leader noted that international experience suggests reducing work hours does not automatically result in lower productivity.
A large-scale public-sector trial in Iceland between 2015 and 2019 reduced working hours from 40 hours to around 35–36 hours per week without reducing pay.
Researchers from Autonomy and the Association for Sustainable Democracy found that productivity and service delivery remained the same or improved in most workplaces, while worker stress and burnout declined significantly.
Costs and job creation
One of the most common concerns raised by employers is whether shorter workdays would force companies to hire more workers or increase labor costs.
Matula said the answer depends on the sector.
“In some industries, additional staffing may be required. But that is not automatically a bad thing, especially in an economy that needs more decent jobs,” he said.
He added that reduced working hours could also lower hidden costs linked to burnout, workplace accidents, absenteeism, and employee turnover.
A four-day workweek experiment in Portugal, he said, showed minimal implementation costs, with only one participating nursery needing a modest increase in staff.
Investment concerns
Critics have warned that shorter workdays could discourage investment in the country, particularly in labor-intensive industries.
But Matula argued that serious investors consider multiple factors beyond working hours, including workforce stability, skills, productivity, and predictable labor relations.
“A shorter workday can actually be attractive if it produces healthier, more focused, and more stable employees,” he said.
He cited a productivity experiment by Microsoft in Japan, where output reportedly increased after employees adopted a shorter workweek.
Similarly, a major pilot program in the United Kingdom saw the majority of participating firms continue the reduced-hours arrangement after the trial ended.
Sector-specific challenges
The proposal has also drawn criticism from sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, transport, and retail that require longer operational hours.
Matula said critics often confuse operational hours with individual work shifts.
“Hospitals, factories, transport systems, and retail establishments can continue operating beyond six hours through staggered shifts, relievers, and better workforce planning,” he explained.
He added that many essential services already operate around the clock through multiple shifts, making alternative scheduling models feasible.
Support for small businesses
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), however, will need additional support if the government tests the policy.
Matula suggested that the government could introduce tax incentives, technical assistance, and workflow redesign programs to help businesses adjust.
“The discussion should also be about how productivity gains from digitalization and artificial intelligence can be shared,” he said.
Health and productivity
Beyond economic considerations, Matula said the issue also involves worker health and long-term productivity.
Studies by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization warn that long working hours increase the risk of stroke and ischemic heart disease.
Workers who regularly log 55 hours or more per week face a significantly higher risk of stroke and heart-related deaths compared with those working 35 to 40 hours weekly.
“This is not only about comfort,” Matula emphasized. “It is about health, safety, and sustainable productivity.”
Evidence over ideology
While economists remain divided on whether shorter workdays would improve national productivity, Matula insisted that evidence, rather than assumptions, must settle the debate.
Matula argued that we should look beyond time spent at the office: “National productivity should not be measured only by the number of hours people spend at work.”
“It should also consider output per hour, innovation, health, and sustainability.”
He added that labor groups are open to revising the proposal if pilot programs show negative results.
“If honest pilot programs demonstrate that a six-hour workday does not work in certain sectors, then we should adjust,” Matula said.
“But fairness requires the same standard in reverse. If the evidence shows productivity is maintained or improved, employers and the government should also be willing to move the reform forward.”
The proposal comes as the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has begun experimenting with alternative work arrangements in government offices, including a four-day onsite workweek aimed at conserving energy and reducing fuel costs.
For labor groups, the move signals that the long-standing assumption that longer hours equal higher productivity may finally be open to scrutiny.
