The world’s largest luxury eyewear manufacturer, Essilor-Luxottica (EssiLux), is introducing a four-day week at its factories in Italy. The French-Italian company signed a corresponding agreement with the unions, as both sides announced on Friday. For a total of 20 weeks of the year, you can only voluntarily work from Monday to Thursday – but each day is a little longer than usual. Friday to Sunday are free all day. The five-day week continues to apply the rest of the year.
Participation in a test phase initially scheduled to last three years is on a voluntary basis. It is expected that around 20,000 employees will take part in the various Italian branches. Salaries and total weekly working hours remain unchanged. The new model is intended to make jobs more attractive. The group was created in 2017 through the merger of the Italian eyewear maker Luxottica and the French eyewear lens manufacturer Essilor. The most famous brands manufactured there include Ray Ban, Armani, Chanel, Prada and Persol.