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Ladies and Gentlemen,
it is my great pleasure to invite you to a seminar dedicated to the topic of working time.
The meeting will take place in person at the Warsaw School of Economics
March, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM,
Building G, Auditorium II, Al. Niepodległości 162,
and online via MS Teams.
The standard working week in Europe is approximately 40 hours, although there is no single uniform standard across all countries, and averages differ by sector and nation. The EU Working Time Directive sets a maximum of 48 hours per week, including overtime, and guarantees minimum daily and weekly rest periods.
Iceland launched a pilot program for a four-day workweek as early as 2015, the United Kingdom conducted trials in 2022, and similar experiments are currently underway in Germany and Spain. In many cases, productivity remained stable while employee well-being improved. In Scotland, a 32-hour workweek was introduced for certain public officials without any reduction in pay, while in Belgium employees are allowed to compress their workweek into four days by extending their daily working hours. By contrast, the Spanish parliament rejected a proposal to introduce a shorter working week.
In Poland, although there are no formal regulations regarding a four-day workweek, some companies and public institutions have introduced shorter schedules on their own initiative. A government pilot program is now testing reduced working hours (e.g., 35 hours per week) in selected Polish companies. Employers that meet specific requirements related to employment contracts, employee tenure, and the participation of at least half of their workforce may receive up to PLN 1 million in subsidies from the Labour Fund (PLN 20,000 per employee), provided they maintain both employment levels and salaries.
The potential benefits of such arrangements include improved work–life balance, more opportunities for personal development, reduced risk of burnout, and extended professional activity. Employers have reported gains in efficiency and creativity, fewer errors and accidents, and stronger competitiveness in the labor market. Nonetheless, many Polish employers continue to express concerns about possible declines in productivity and the need to reorganize workflows. At the same time, research indicates that employees are increasingly motivated by access to remote or hybrid work options, which are becoming more feasible thanks to modern digital tools.
This seminar will explore the following themes:
Block 1: Opportunities and Challenges of a Shorter Workweek
What are the main benefits for employees of a shortened workweek, in light of international experiences – and how can those experiences inspire Polish businesses and public institutions?
Do international examples suggest that a shorter workweek improves productivity, or do they rather challenge the traditional saying that “no gain without pain”?
What legal and organizational challenges are associated with implementing a four-day workweek?
Could reducing working hours have a negative impact on people employed under civil law contracts, such as contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie) or contract for a specific work (umowa o dzieło)?
What alternatives to a shortened workweek – such as remote or hybrid work – can be applied in Poland to improve employee motivation and well-being?
Block 2: Risks, Inequalities, and Long-Term Consequences of a Shorter Workweek
Could a shorter workweek create inequalities between employees in different sectors or at different levels of the organizational hierarchy?
Could a shorter workweek (combined with little or no homework in schools) reduce the aspirations and ambitions of the younger generation?
Can a “resting nation” remain competitive economically and technologically compared to countries that prioritize constant growth and long working hours?
Does the policy of shorter working hours create inequalities for those who continue to work hard in order to succeed?
Is shorter working time and a focus on rest a path toward sustainable living, or does it risk weakening the country’s competitiveness and slowing development – and if so, what mechanisms should be introduced to prevent a decline in innovation and productivity at both the national and international level?
Bringing together leading experts in international law, economics, and policy-making, the seminar will provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary perspective on one of the most pressing trade and security challenges of our time.
I warmly invite policymakers, academics, legal practitioners, business leaders, and students to join us for this important discussion.
Łukasz Dawid Dąbrowski
Assistant Professor, Institute of World Economy
SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Attorny-at-law
Biogram SGH -Link
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