Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk is a Polish politician, educator, philosopher, researcher, and social activist. She represents the Left and fights for the rights of women and minorities. She holds a doctorate in humanities and is a member of the Sejm of the 9th and 10th terms. Since December 13, 2023, she has served as the Minister for Family, Labour, and Social Policy in Donald Tusk's third government.

Since taking over the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk has regularly advocated for a shorter working week. She has emphasised in the media that Polish women and men work the most and the longest hours in Europe. According to her, they deserve time to rest and spend an extra day off with their families. She discussed introducing new rules and the possibility of having Fridays off on state TV.

The debate about whether the workweek should be shortened is gaining more attention in the public discourse. In Poland, the Poznań-based company Herbapol has decided to test this idea. The company's owners want to determine if it will have a positive impact on employee morale and productivity. The results of the experiment will be revealed in 2025. Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk plainly states that a four-day workweek should be the standard.

"The advancement of new technologies and artificial intelligence may necessitate changes in work organisation. It is important to be prepared for this, which is why we have initiated an analysis of the potential impact of reducing working hours on productivity and efficiency. Our goal is not to simply give everyone an extra day off without considering the economic implications. On the contrary, our aim is to maximise the productivity of the Polish economy," stated Dziemianowicz-Bąk during a public television appearance.

"A well-rested and motivated employee is likely to work more effectively and productively. Moreover, they are able to spend time with their family, leading to increased satisfaction and efficiency. Although we are still in the early stages of this initiative, it is time to begin discussing reducing working hours. We aim to present the results of our work on this matter by the end of the year. Subsequently, we plan to develop a piloting, research, and collaboration model with the various stakeholders, including employees and entrepreneurs," announced Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk.

Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk has stated that the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy is considering implementing free Fridays instead of reducing the current eight-hour workday. She also emphasised that these changes will be gradually implemented and not immediately mandatory for all companies.

Source: tvp.info