Work policy summary: Scotland, Nike and China

In the past few years, many countries have tried different kinds of work policy. One of the most notable examples is when Iceland started to implement the 4-day working week in June. Japan and New Zealand have also tested this policy, and it has proven to increase workers’ productivity by up to 40%. 

Scotland recently announced that it will follow suit. After being pressed by the Public Policy Research (IPPR), the Scottish government decided to implement the 4-day working week policy, particularly in the health care and hospitality industries. An IPPR survey found that 80% of people believed that cutting their number of days at work would have a “positive effect on their wellbeing”.

Oregon-based sportswear brand Nike also implements a paid, week-long mental health break for all employees at its headquarters so that they could “destress” and recover from the pressures and hardships caused by the pandemic. 

“In a year (or two) unlike any other, taking time for rest and recovery is key to performing well and staying sane. This past year has been rough - we're all human and living through a traumatic event,” Nike Senior Manager of Global Marketing Science Matt Marrazzo shared on his LinkedIn. 

In another development, the Chinese government finally decided to regulate the 996 --9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week-- working culture. Led by the supreme court and labour ministry, the Chinese government released a guideline regarding overtime work, stipulating that the brutal working policy is illegal. According to Fortune, this working habit has been intrinsic to the culture of Chinese tech firms, such as Allibaba, Tencent and JD.com, which is seen as the reason behind their great success. 

“Legally, workers have the right to corresponding compensation and rest times or holidays,” the court said in a statement on Friday (27 August). “Obeying the national regime for working hours is the obligation of employers. Overtime can easily lead to labour disputes, impacting the worker-employer relationship and social stability.”