Minister responsible for Commerce, Dr Ernest Hilaire, says discussions surrounding the possibility of a four-day work week in Saint Lucia should focus less on rigid schedules and more on productivity and workplace flexibility.
Hilaire addressed the issue during a pre-Cabinet media briefing on Monday, May 13, following renewed calls from some members of the working population for the introduction of a four-day work arrangement.
The minister admitted that his own work schedule makes the concept of a standard work week difficult to relate to.
“I have a 7-day workweek,” Hilaire remarked. “I don’t know that I can ever adapt to a 5-day, much less a 4-day.”
While stopping short of explicitly endorsing the proposal, Hilaire indicated that he supports approaches centered on output rather than traditional office hours.
“At a broader level, there is a very strong call, and even in my own past experiences when I have managed enterprises, I’m not one who believes in this regime, 8 hours a day workweek for 4 days against 5 days,” he said.
“I’m always more oriented towards output,” the minister continued. “I give you a task to perform, you perform the task successfully, and we move on.”
Hilaire questioned whether the conventional structure of employees remaining at desks for fixed hours necessarily translates into improved productivity.
“There’s nothing inherently productive about mandating somebody must sit at a desk for 8 hours or 5 days a week,” he stated. “I mean, it’s no measure of productivity.”
The minister also suggested that flexible arrangements could particularly benefit working parents and individuals balancing multiple responsibilities.
“If one can find a way, especially with mothers, to be able to accommodate the other chores that they perform, in our society for what it is, I’m always for it,” Hilaire said.
He added that modern work environments should allow greater flexibility for professionals to complete assignments outside of traditional office settings.
“If I ask somebody to prepare a document for me, and they say they want to stay home today and work on it, I’m not going to do that. Why not?” he asked.
“Why does a professional person be asked to come to work for 8 o’clock and to leave at 4.30?” Hilaire continued. “If you have a choice, you can come at 10 and leave at 6 in the night.”
The comments come amid broader international discussions on workplace reform, employee wellness and evolving labor practices in the post-pandemic era.