The Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Jeannette Jaraguaranteed that the Government will continue to do its part to guarantee that the implementation of the law that reduces the working day from 45 to 44 hours in its first stage of validity that begins this Fridayhave a «happy ending» for both workers and employers.
«There were some tensions«without a doubt,» with the companies, he admitted to the owner in conversation with What’s left of the day.
This is because interpretations arose that, in the absence of agreement with the worker, the employer could apply the first reduction established by law, of one hour, distributing it in half an hour over two days or even 12 minutes over the five days. days of the work week. However, a ruling from the Labor Directorate (DT) clarified a week ago that the reduction must be implemented as one less working hour in a single day.
«Some (employers) began to look for formulas that would reduce minutes instead of an hour in a day, but This last week several companies have reconsidered their original or primitive decisions, and have been adapting«Jara assessed.
A survey by the Santiago Chamber of Commerce, carried out among 118 associates before the DT ruling, found that 24% of companies were considering reducing that hour using proportional distribution throughout the work week.
[En vivo📻] Minister Jara commits willingness so that the implementation of the 40 hours «ends with a happy ending, which has been the spirit of what we have agreed» #CooperativeWithYou
— Cooperative (@Cooperative) April 25, 2024
«Surely in the coming days some may still have doubts or need support from the Ministry of Labor, and we will be available for that task,» said Jara.
«We will be fully willing to continue contributing from the Ministry, both to workers and employers, so that it has a happy endinga good and adequate implementation, which has been the spirit of what we have agreed upon,» he noted.
The minister highlighted that the 40-hour law «is a very good agreement, it does very good for the country, the workers and the companies,» and pointed out that with the current legislation «there is often absenteeism from work due to work fatigue , of mental illnesses derived from overload, the double shift of work of women».
The law comes into force this Friday, with a gradual implementation: first with a reduction from 45 to 44 hours per week, then decreasing to 42 hours in April 2026 and reaching the full validity of the 40 hours in 2028.
«We know that there are many companies already in 40 hours,» Jara highlighted: «There are 5,400 who have applied for the ’40 Hours Seal’, but we know that there are more because many have already adapted the day and did not apply for the seal. And we know that many already have 44 hours.»