SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – Member of Parliament (MP) Egbert J. Doran has written to Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and Minister of VSA Richinel Brug, calling on Government to explore the introduction of a 4-day workweek pilot within the civil service of Sint Maarten.
He stressed that the call is timely. “It is evident that many people are operating on burnout. At the same time, with the pension age being pushed higher, workers are expected to stay in the workforce longer and under more pressure. Maybe it’s time that we innovate, try a new structure, and see if it works for us,” MP Doran added.
Importantly, he explained that a 4-day workweek does not mean government departments would close for an extra day. Services would remain open throughout the week, while civil servants would rotate their days off so that the public continues to be served without interruption.
Doran also highlighted how such a change could help families. “Parents who normally can’t pick their children up from school during the week would have that opportunity. They could use the day to check in with teachers, give their children more attention, and really be involved in their daily lives. That kind of hands-on parenting is something our society needs more of,” MP Doran said.
Doran pointed out that Sint Maarten has already seen this model in practice. “During my tenure as Minister of VROMI, I tried a shortened workweek on a small scale at the VROMI Yard. Productivity increased, efficiency improved, and staff morale was boosted. Likewise, former Minister of Finance, MP Ardwell Irion, also applied this approach within his ministry, and it was successful there as well,” Doran said.
In the United Kingdom’s 2022 pilot with nearly 3,000 workers, 92 percent of companies continued with the model after the trial because productivity held steady or improved. Iceland’s trials between 2015 and 2019 showed stress and burnout dropped significantly while output stayed stable or increased. New Zealand’s Perpetual Guardian also reported higher work-life balance scores and lower stress levels after moving to a four-day week.
Closer to home, Aruba’s Parliament recently passed a motion to introduce the 4-day workweek in their public sector, showing clear regional momentum.
Doran stressed that Government should take a similar approach: explore a pilot in the public sector first, while at the same time studying if and how the concept could branch out into the private sector. “This initiative is about healthier families, stronger communities, and a more motivated workforce,” he added.
Concluding, MP Doran announced that he will be calling a committee meeting of Parliament to discuss the matter with his colleagues. “We need to sit together, examine the different laws and policies, and collectively explore the real possibility of this undertaking. If the potential is there, we should not shy away from making the necessary changes to make it work for Sint Maarten,” Doran stated.
“The reality is that our people are running on empty. It’s time to work smarter, and give families and workers a healthy balance,” MP Doran concluded.
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