Czechia to let workers decide their own schedules

It’s another matter, of course, how applicable this will be in reality

The Czech Senate has adopted an amendment to the labour regulations of the country making it possible for all employees to demand the option to determine their own working schedules – after a consultation and mutual agreement with their employers.

These legislative amendments are quite revolutionary in a sense, and they are motivated by the idea that this would boost productivity and morale in the country’s workforce. Plus, this could increase mutual trust between employers and employees.

In fact, having the power to set your own working schedule has already been an available option for certain professionals in the Czech Republic – mainly those who are working remotely. The new amendments, however, seek to expand this to include everyone regardless of their profession and type of workplace.

Not a unilateral power, though

The amendments to the Czech Labour Code were initiated by the country’s Labour Minister Marian Jurečka. Many employers and experts, however, don’t seem to be very accepting of the idea and put its real-life application under doubt.

"If we take an industrial enterprise and imagine that someone would just decide when to come and not come to work, this will not work in practice," pointed out Josef Středula from the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, as quoted by Expats.cz.

The proposed change would also need to comply with legal rules, such as ensuring at least 11 hours of rest between shifts.

Once again, the authorities are emphasizing that the option to adjust one’s working schedule is simply giving more power to the employees to even out their standing vis-à-vis the employers. The companies, however, are still the other half of this equation and the change in schedules will only be possible if they also agree to it. The change in schedules cannot be unilaterally decided by the workers alone.

The only step left for these amendments to become official law is for Czech President Petr Pavel to sign them.