Four-day work week in Monaco:
a debate heating up in the National Council

In recent weeks, the issue of the four-day week has entered the public debate in Monaco, revived by several members of the National Council as a way to reinvent the organization of work in the Principality in 2026.

Why is this topic coming up again now?

The idea, championed in particular by Jean-Louis Grinda, Vice President of the National Council, is not to reduce weekly working hours, but rather to redistribute the legal 39 hours over 4 days instead of 5. According to him, this could:

Improve employees' quality of life,

Enhance the attractiveness and retention of talent,

Reduce pressure on mobility and the environment with fewer daily commutes.

Grinda insists that this arrangement is already permitted under Monegasque law if it simply involves extending the working day rather than reducing the number of hours worked.

Support... but also reservations

Within the ranks of the Prince's government, some officials, such as Christophe Robino, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, are in favor of encouraging employers to volunteer, while refusing to impose it by law.

However, the local employers' organization FEDEM warns against too broad a generalization, believing that this could disrupt the Principality's economic functioning if poorly supervised: it prefers a flexible approach, without reducing the legal working week.

Trade unions and employee opinion

Monaco's trade union federations were also consulted on the subject: while some recognize the potential benefits of a better work-life balance, they also highlight the practical limitations, particularly depending on the sector and profession.

And in other countries?

While Monaco is kicking off the debate, the four-day week is on everyone's lips in Europe, particularly in France, where a trial has recently been launched in the civil service, and in the United Kingdom, where a large majority of employees say they are in favor of this model, even without a reduction in weekly working hours.