Is the 40-hour work week necessary anymore? Help send the 32-hour working week popular initiative to the Riigikoku!

Dear compatriots!

Do you feel that we live in the e-state of the 21st century, but we still work in the rhythm of the post-industrial revolution of the 19th century? The current 40-hour work week just celebrated its 100th anniversary on Spring Day. https://time.com/article/2026/05/01/as-the-5-day-workweek-turns-100-it-s-time-for-an-ai-era-upgrade

The current statistics are actually horrible: in 2024, in Estonia, due to burnout, disability benefits were paid in the amount of 844,870 euros, which was more than twice as much as the year before. The 30-39 year olds, that is, the main leaders of our economy, are particularly affected at the moment. People just burn out one by one in today’s fast-paced and fast-paced world.

At the same time, pilot programs of 4-day working weeks have been carried out, e.g. in Great Britain and Iceland, which have also proven that shorter working hours do not reduce the productivity of the economy. On the contrary, company revenues even increased slightly, the stress level of employees decreased drastically, and the number of sick days decreased.

The proposal to the Riigikogu is specific:

Amend the labor contract law so that the national norm for full-time work is 32 hours per week instead of the current 40 hours, while maintaining the full-time monthly salary.

Remember last spring holiday, who had this opportunity to end the working week on Thursday and start an already longer weekend. Returning to work on Monday was certainly easier than usual. What if this becomes the new normal?

Of course, the initiative will not bear any fruit without the vote of us, Estonian citizens. If you have ever felt that your voice does not count for anything, then, dear fellow citizens, let’s for a moment put the grudges against each other in the corner, focus on the root cause of the problems, swallow the pessimism for a while and dare to dream of a better world now, here and now.

In order for the Riigikogu to officially start discussing this initiative, we need to collect at least 1,000 digital signatures, more is always more influential. Each signature is a sign that we value work results more than accumulating dull hours, and care about the mental health and future of our people.

Please take 5 minutes, read the initiative and if you agree that the Estonian labor market needs modernization, then sign and share this popular initiative on social media and with your friends!