TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Labor said Friday it will wait until before Feb. 7 to give an official reply to the proposal for a four-day workweek.

The idea received over 5,700 endorsements on the country’s public policy participation platform, necessitating an official response from the government. Because the proposal reached the threshold on Oct. 7, an official reply needed to appear before Dec. 7.

However, the ministry said it needed first to hear more opinions on the subject before it could reply, CNA reported. The issue would impact business operations, workers’ rights, and public needs, the ministry said.

Proponents argued that working four days and resting three days per week would allow workers to spend more time with their families, rest, study, and develop their hobbies, while also benefiting their mental health. Workers would spend less time in traffic.

The proposal also pointed out potential problems, including opposition from small and medium enterprises, doubts about competitiveness with neighboring countries, lower productivity and lower wages. 

However, research in countries including the UK, Japan, and Iceland showed that in the long term, productivity might even rise, while the quality of life for workers would increase, supporters of the four-day work week said.