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Cantalamessa begins his second term with a reform in the relationship between work and life

The 35-hour workweek trial begins: less stress, more time for yourself, family and community

 

Minister of Labour and Employement Ahmad Nasri presenting the 35-hour wrokweek to the press

October 5688

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ROMULA - Few months into its second term, the government led by Marina Cantalamessa is launching a new national initiative aimed at improving citizens’ daily well-being. Emerging as one of the most anticipated and discussed reforms during the election campaign, presented with the slogan "New Work, New Life", the initiative marks the beginning of a national trial of the 35-hour workweek.

The initiative, which for this first trial will involve major industrial areas and advanced service sector hubs, aims to reduce working hours without reducing pay, thus promoting a healthier work-life balance. The government has provided incentives for businesses participating in the program and a monitoring system capable of measuring the effects of reduced working hours on productivity, well-being, employment and job quality.

Minister of Labour and Employement Ahmad Nasri, speaking to the press after the reform was approved by the Imperial State Council, summarized its objectives as follows:

We want to demonstrate that prosperity is not measured solely in hours worked or profit margins, but in a society's ability to give its citizens the time to balance work, education and social life.

The measure is part of a broader vision of personal and social well-being, consistent with the government's philosophy. In addition to reduced working hours, the program includes complementary measures to enhance the time freed up from work, such as:

• Leisure and mental health services, with new public sports, culture and social centers funded by local authorities and the state;
  

• Evening access to museums, libraries and public civic and sports centers, with a view to enhancing leisure time and cultural participation;
  

• Support for parenting and childhood, through a "Parent Time Bonus" that incentivizes companies to adopt flexible hours, telecommuting and shared leave;
  

• Introduction of "Corporate Wellbeing Weeks", in collaboration with companies and unions, to promote training, mental health and social interaction in the workplace;
  

• "Culture and Wellbeing National Card", which will offer bonuses and discounts for cultural, sports and recreational activities, and for families who enroll their children in sports, art courses or community activities, promoting an active and inclusive society.
  

The initiative will also be accompanied by a "National Quality of Life Education Program", promoted by the Ministry of Education and National Culture in schools, universities and the media to spread a new culture of time that is not only "productive" but above all "livable".

The reform, therefore, is not just a technical experiment on the labor market but also a cultural reform that aims to rethink the relationship between productivity, happiness and time. For many observers, the decision to inaugurate his second term with this measure has strong symbolic value: it signals Cantalamessa's desire to root his political action in a more human and social dimension, after a first government that focused heavily on growth, innovation and economic sustainability.