New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has repeatedly proven that she is a leader worthy of our admiration.
And this week, she’s done it again, revealing that she is in favour of a four-day work week via an informal Facebook Live video addressing the New Zealand public.
In the clip, Ardern said a number of ideas were being “bounced around” within the government to restart New Zealand’s tourism economy with local travellers while international border restrictions remain intact.
“I hear lots of people suggesting we should have a four-day week. Ultimately that really sits between employers and employees,” she said.
“There are lots of things we’ve learnt about COVID and just that flexibility of people working from home, the productivity that can be driven out of that.
“I’d really encourage people to think about that if they are an employer in a position to do so, to think about whether that is something that would work in their workplace — because it would certainly help tourism all around the country.”
And a four-day work week was just the start of Ardern’s proposal. She also suggested New Zealand have more public holidays to stimulate the economy and promote domestic travel.
“New Zealand has had a thriving tourism industry before, and we will again,” she said. “Think about exploring your backyard.”