The Ministry of Labor has taken an unprecedented step with the launching of the Voluntary Pilot Plan for a Reduced Work Week, which proposes the reduction of the working day from 44 to 36 hours per week and intends to explore the possible benefits for both workers and participating companies.
This plan will start next February 1, with a total duration of six months, of which three months will be for the execution of the pilot plan in the companies, in which the workers will receive 100 % of their salary, with a 20 % reduction of their workday and the maintenance of 100 % of the productivity.
The remaining three months will be dedicated to gathering and processing information to determine a change that could transform the labor landscape.
The companies participating in the voluntary pilot plan are Claro, IMCA, EGE Haina; National Health Insurance (SeNaSa) and the Single System of Beneficiaries (Siuben).
The points of analysis will be carried out by the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) taking into account the health and welfare of the worker, the reconciliation between work and family life, absenteeism and the contribution to the environment.
The event was led by the Minister of Labor, Luis Miguel De Camps García who expressed that this project is not merely a labor innovation; it represents a step towards a more balanced and humane society.
“We have embarked on a journey that prioritizes people, improving health and well-being and promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly productivity,” De Camps added.
The official said that “this is the spirit that governs this government administration led by President Luis Abinader: to create a fairer, safer and healthier work environment, where every Dominican can not only work, but also live, grow and prosper”.
Meanwhile, Juan Gabriel Faxas, vice-rector of Research of the PUCMM, said that the university will be in charge of objectively and meticulously evaluating the effects and impact of this program in the participating companies.
He emphasized that this initiative, in addition to the welfare effects on the worker, can contribute to the sustainability and reduction of the environmental impact, and serve as a stimulus to the local economy, derived from activities that citizens do in their free time.
Sandra Tejeda, Claro’s Director of People and Organizational Culture; José Rodríguez Silvestre, General Manager of EGE Haina; Santiago Hazim, Executive Director of SeNaSa; Jeffrey Lizardo, Director of Siuben, and Gina Jiménez, Regional Director of Marketing and Customer Experience of IMCA, signed the agreements together with the Minister of Labor.
During the launching ceremony, an audiovisual presentation was broadcast, in which the different companies value the implementation of the pilot plan proposed by the Ministry of Labor.
The activity took place in the Auditorium of the INDOTEL Cultural Center and was attended by Sabrina de la Cruz Vargas, vice-minister of Union and Business Relations, and Javier Suarez, labor advisor of the Ministry of Labor, among other officials.
Source: Presidencia.gob.do
