Over the last few months, the working hours in Chile has been the subject of debate both at the legislative level and among the business world and individuals. According to many experts, the productivity / working hours relationship is directly related to the low production of the country and that is why the parliament proposes to reduce working hours from 45 to 40 weekly hours and without salary reduction as the main basis of the project, this would cause for workers more time in their family and personal life and greater labor productivity.

Productivity has been the central axis of the debate that has appear with this project, since the examples of other countries that have reduced their working hours have had positive results in production.

Rodrigo Azocar, professor of labor law at the Universidad Católica, believes that the “40 hours” project has been very focused on productivity, when it must also consider the quality of life and dignity of workers in legal matters and salary increase.

The debate has returned to national opinion in order to improve the national economy and also improve the quality of life of workers and at the same time resolve part of the social crisis that the country currently presents, since part of the request of the citizens is the approval of the project to reduce working hours without reducing salaries.

This measure comes at a time of social and, therefore, economic uncertainty in Chile, which sees how the economic forecasts for 2020, which until a few months ago were positive for one of the most stable regions in the area, are now beginning to show certain doubts and the possibility of recession.

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Augusto Berutich
Director. Global Tax

Manuel Oportos Vilches
Manager Chile

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