英國多家企業試行一週四天工作制 縮短工時或將成真

上四天班休息三天，這是每個上班族都夢寐以求的。如今，這個夢想已不再遙遠。英國多家企業開始試行一週四天工作制且薪水不變，而蘇格蘭執政黨將在下個月對四天工作周進行討論。來看看率先享受到長週末的英國上班族有什麼感受吧。

A string of small British firms have switched their workers over to a four-day week, the Guardian can reveal, amid mounting political interest in the idea that working less could deliver higher productivity and better balance between life and work.

據《衛報》報道，數家英國小企業已經將工作制改爲上四休三，與此同時，政界對於減少工作時間能夠提高工作效率並能更好地平衡生活和工作的觀點也越來越感興趣。

A lingerie manufacturer, a lighting design firm and a landscape architect are among a wave of employers experimenting with giving staff three days off per week, for no less pay. The Wellcome Trust, the largest employer in Britain to so far consider a four-day week, is thinking about doing a trial for its 800 staff.

試行上四休三且不降薪水的這波企業包括一家內衣製造商、一家照明設計公司和一家景觀建築公司。擁有800名員工的維爾康基金會是迄今爲止考慮試行一週四天工作制的規模最大的英國企業。

Growing calls for a shorter working week are being opposed by the Confederation of British Industry on the basis that more flexibility, not less, is needed.

民衆對於縮短每週工作時間的呼籲遭到了英國工業聯合會的反對，他們的理由是工人需要的是更多的靈活工作時間，而不是更少（工作時間）。

But the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has commissioned a study into its value from the economist Robert Skidelsky, and the Scottish National party is due to debate a motion next month calling for a review which could lead to the introduction of the four-day week in Scotland.

不過，影子財相約翰·麥克唐納已經委託經濟學家羅伯特·斯基德爾斯基對縮短工作時間的意義展開調查；蘇格蘭民族黨則將於下個月討論一項動議，如果草案通過審查，蘇格蘭可能將會實行四天工作周。

In the last six months, companies switching to a four-day week include Synergy Vision, a 45-employee medical communications agency, Elektra Lighting, a lighting design company, Lara Intimates, which makes underwear, and the Intrepid Camera company, which makes and exports photographic equipment.

在過去半年內改爲一週四天工作制的公司包括擁有45名員工的醫療通信機構Synergy Vision，照明設計公司Elektra Lighting，內衣製造商Lara Intimates和攝影器材製造和出口公司Intrepid Camera。

"It has been a beautiful six weeks of having a long weekend,” said Neil Knowles, a design consultant at Elektra, which switched its 10 staff to a shorter week in January.

Elektra Lighting公司的設計顧問內爾·諾爾斯說：“過去的六週真是太美好了，能擁有超長週末。”今年一月份這家擁有10名員工的公司將工作制改成了上四休三。

"Two days out of seven is just enough to recover from a stressful week. Three is enough to recover and have extra time to do something else. It almost feels as if work is interrupting the weekend rather than the other way round.”

“每週休兩天只能勉強從一週的壓力中恢復過來。三天的週末不但能恢復過來，還有多餘的時間做些別的事情。工作似乎成了週末之間的插曲。”

Maxim Grew, at Intrepid in Brighton, said the switch has ended “Friday afternoon fatigue” and increased morale and energy levels among staff with a feeling that every hour counts, leading to productivity boosts. He said people have quickly adjusted to using the extra time off.

位於布萊頓的Intrepid公司的馬克西姆·格魯說，這一改變終結了“週五下午的疲倦”，提高了員工的士氣和精力，讓員工感覺到每個小時都很重要，從而提高了工作效率。他說，人們很快就適應了多出來的休息時間並加以利用。

morale[mə'ræl]: n. 士氣，鬥志

"I am learning French, Rocco has joined a theatre group, Hugo is spending more time doing carpentry and Sam is building a robot,” he said.

他說：“我正在學法語，洛克加入了一個戲劇團，雨果花更多時間做木工活兒，山姆正在造一個機器人。”

Vanessa Ross, the owner of Arc Landscape in Surrey, said her team had used the time to volunteer, look after dependent family members and teach.

位於薩里郡的Arc Landscape公司的老闆瓦內莎·羅斯說，她的團隊用多出來的週末時間做志願者、照看家人和教學。

The idea of a four-day week has shot to prominence in recent months, for economic, social, health and technological reasons.

近幾個月來，四天工作周的理念備受關注，原因有經濟、社會、健康和技術等多個方面。

Overwork results in thousands succumbing to stress or depression each year, according to the Health and Safety Executive; long working hours make parenting and family care ever trickier to juggle; technology, meanwhile, threatens to transform the demand for labor over coming decades.

根據健康與安全執行局的報告，工作過度每年導致數千人遭受壓力或抑鬱的困擾。長時間的工作讓育兒和照顧家庭更難以兼顧。未來幾十年，技術的發展還可能使得勞動力需求減少。

Despite this, Britons work more hours a week on average than they did in 2011 – and research shows two-thirds would like to reduce the amount of time they spend in the office.

儘管如此，英國人平均每週工作時間相比2011年增加了。調查顯示，三分之二的人希望減少上班時間。

One of the biggest experiments so far into the effect of the four-day week was carried out at Perpetual Guardian, a finance company in New Zealand. It claims productivity has increased.

迄今爲止規模最大的四天工作周試驗是在新西蘭的一家名爲Perpetual Guardian的金融公司開展的。試驗表明，員工的工作效率提高了。

Its chief executive, Andrew Barnes, said: “This is an idea whose time has come. We need to get more companies to give it a go. They will be surprised at the improvement in their company, their staff and in their wider community.”

該公司的總監安德魯·巴恩斯說：“這個理念的時機已經成熟。我們需要讓更多公司嘗試這一工作制。他們會驚訝地發現，公司、員工和周邊的情況有了改善。”

He said it helps level the playing field between women and men, partly by making it easier for mothers returning to work because they don’t need to commit to five days and by making men more available for domestic duties.

他說，這有助於爲男性和女性創造公平的競爭環境，一方面能夠讓媽媽們更容易迴歸職場，因爲她們無需再一週工作五天，另一方面也能讓男性分擔更多家事。

Billy Jenkins, a middle manager at Synergy Vision, said: “It has caused a little tension in the household, as my partner works five days a week and seems to come up with a wishlist of errands or chores that need doing on my day off. It’s also hard to shake off the feeling that I should be working, and it has taken time to feel more comfortable using the time as my own.”

Synergy Vision公司的中層經理比利·詹金斯說：“這讓我的家庭關係有點小緊張，因爲我愛人每週工作五天，她似乎有很多雜事想讓我在多出的一天裏去做。而且，我總覺得在那一天不工作有負罪感，慢慢地我才能心安理得地把它當成屬於我的時間。”