Finland's new Prime Minister has stated her intentions to introduce a four-day working week and six-hour days, Evening Standard reports.
Sanna Marin, the youngest female world leader, intends to trial the reduction in working hours, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Turku. She says it would allow those in employment to spend more time with their families and loved ones. Currently, people in Finland work on average eight hours a day, five days a week.
Sanna Marin has been serving as the Prime Minister of Finland since 10 December 2019:According to The Independent, the Social Democratic Party leader said at her party's conference in the autumn of 2019: "I believe people deserve to spend more time with their families, loved ones, hobbies and other aspects of life, such as culture. This could be the next step for us in working life."
The 34-year-old leads a five-party center-left coalition - completely led by women.
Before she became Finland's Prime Minister, the mother-of-one was the country's Minister of Transport. While in the role, Marin advocated a shorter working week to improve morale and productivity in the workplace.
In neighboring nation Sweden, the six-hour working day was trialed back in 2015. Following the trial, it was noted that workers were happier and more productive as a result of the change.
Marin's appointment provoked international media interest, to which the 34-year-old said in response:
"My thoughts have been in the proceedings and I have not followed the international and national media coverage. We have promised change. Now we need action. I believe that trust will return through action."
"I have never thought about my age or gender," Marin added. "I think of the reasons I got into politics and those things for which we have won the trust of the electorate."
"For me, human rights and equality of people have never been questions of opinion but the basis of my moral conception," she states on her website, per Evening Standard. “I joined politics because I want to influence how society sees its citizens and their rights."
"I want to build a society in which every child can become anything and in which every human being can live and grow old with dignity."
