From next year, software company Afas will close the door to its head office in Lucden every Friday. Employees no longer have to work that day, but will continue to be paid.

The company has now renamed this Friday “Development Day”, where employees can, for example, provide informal sponsorship, volunteer work or do something for themselves. No emails are allowed on that day.

Afas hopes the employees have a good day. “Netflix all day, or continuing to work hard at another company, for example, are not our preferences,” the company writes to its employees. “But we won’t control what you do.”

Employees who previously worked four days are making significant progress: they will also be paid five days’ wages from next year.

According to Afas, the four-day work week became possible because employee productivity has increased significantly over 25 years: from €60,000 per employee per year when Afas first existed, to €450,000 in 2023. According to the company, this has been partially achieved Through automation and the application of artificial intelligence.

It is expected that employees will continue this trend in the near future. Therefore, there is no intention to work longer on other days to make up for Friday. Afas also says it has no plans to increase targets or hire additional employees.

The company also confirms that it is still available to customers on Fridays. Employees who have to work afterward will have their own “development day” on Wednesday.

Employees at De Volksbank can no longer work at the head office in Utrecht on Fridays. The bank has kept its doors closed to employees since last week, and Friday will be an official work-from-home day for them.

“Occupancy was so low on Fridays that the decision was made,” says a hotel spokesperson. “In this way we can also reduce costs and, for example, prevent energy waste.”