Azores four-day week trial moves to evaluation after public-sector test

The Azores’ four-day week pilot in regional public administration has ended after six months across 13 services, involving 380 workers in a voluntary test that reduced the weekly schedule from 35 to 32 hours.

Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration Duarte Freitas said the rollout did not cause significant disruption. According to the government official, only three workers withdrew from the experiment, which began on January 2.

The formal assessment will compare the pilot semester with the same period in 2025. The Regional Government wants to measure effects on the quality and efficiency of services delivered to users, as well as on employees’ ability to balance work, personal and family life.

The participating bodies included regional directorates, inspection services, RIAC, the Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory, the Regional Fund for Cohesion and Economic Development, and central offices within regional secretariats. That range should provide evidence from administrative, technical, social-service and public-facing settings.

A final report is expected in September, with technical and scientific support from researchers at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. The findings are due to be reviewed by the Regional Public Administration Advisory Council and by the Government Council before any decision is made on whether to continue or expand the model.

For the Azores, the trial matters because it tests new working-time arrangements in a public administration spread across multiple islands and responsible for essential services used by residents and businesses. Its outcome may shape future decisions on productivity, staff wellbeing and public-service quality in the Region.