40 hours a week: what does the project that seeks to reduce the working day in Chile say

The Government of Chile relaunches with “extreme urgency” a bill to reduce the working day, from 45 to 40 hours per week. The text had originally been presented in 2017 by the then deputy of the Communist Party Camila Vallejo, current government spokeswoman.

Although the text had been approved by the Chamber of Deputies in 2019, it stalled before being dealt with by the Senate Labor Commission.

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“I have no doubt that these improvements are essential to move towards a new, fairer and more inclusive Chile. 40 Hours for a better quality of life,” President Boric emphasized through social networks.

WHAT DOES THE 40 HOURS PER WEEK PROJECT SAY?

The bill stipulates the reduction of the working day from 45 to 40 hours per week, divided into eight working hours per day, instead of the current nine hours per day.
Estimates from the Chilean executive indicate that the reduction in the working day will benefit around four million workers in the country.

Although the text has existed since 2017, the Boric government made additions to the bill with the intention that the reduction of the working day be implemented gradually.

This means that in the first year after the law is published in the Official Gazette, the working day will be reduced from 45 to 44 hours per week, gradually and annually, until the official working day reaches 40 hours per week.

At the same time, the project also contemplates reducing the part-time work day, going from 30 to 27 hours per week.

The text also innovates with the incorporation of an article to the Chilean Labor Code that allows modifying the entry and exit schedule of workers who have under their care children under 12 years of age.

Another novelty of the project is a system of ‘points’ to apply for subsidies to those small and medium-sized companies that take advantage of the 40-hour scheme for their workers in advance.

“It is time to fulfill. This is a national task, the quality of life can be improved if we add wills, if we think of Chilean families, if we do it responsibly,” said Minister Vallejo during the ceremony at the Palace of the Currency.

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