The four-day workweek seems to be becoming the dream of many workers around the world, and also the nightmare of others. The party that wants this to really happen believes that the format would be fairer, after all, we would work four days and rest three, something more balanced. The other part, mostly composed of business owners, believes that a day less of work can be detrimental to the results. Who is right
The fact is that, business owners do have a point that we must take into consideration: from the moment we "lose" a day of work, inevitably we will do fewer tasks during the week, because we will not have enough time to carry out as many activities as before. The question then becomes, how to prevent this from having a negative impact on productivity
For the four-day workweek to be implemented functionally, it is necessary to understand how this new model will work, it is pointless to take a day off if the work hours of others will be longer and more extensive. In practice, it is what will happen at the beginning and, I think, for a long time. It is likely that this will end up discouraging employees over time, because they will have to work even more hours and will be more tired, what is not something healthy
The four-day workweek started in New Zealand, in 2019, and it began to expand to other countries on different continents, under the management of the movement4 Day Week Global, what is a nonprofit community. And it has been working in many of these places, however, some questions arise: could it become a reality here in Brazil? It would really work
At the beginning of this year, 21 Brazilian companies agreed to participate in a pilot project for a four-day workweek, that advocates the 100-80-100 model, that is, the professionals receive 100% of the salary, working 80% of the time and maintaining 100% productivity. Data released by the4 Day Week Braziltogether with theReconnect Happiness at Work, the consultancy that leads the project in Brazil, show that the results are positive
Among the most relevant data, are the improvements regarding the energy of professionals at work (82,4%), project execution,5%), creativity and innovation,5%) and stress reduction (62,7%). With the approach of the end of 2024 and this pilot project coming to an end, the participating companies expect that all investment in new hires and technology will be returned in talent attraction and increased productivity
For this reason, it is essential that the companies adopting this format, create a structured plan with productivity strategies, that aim for team engagement and the fulfillment of their functions within a timeframe that aligns with the current work schedule. In addition to also being prepared to spend a little more than they were used to before to make the model work
It is clear that it will not be easy to change something so deeply rooted in the work culture around the world and it requires patience during the process. There are numerous challenges to be overcome to make the four-day workweek work – both in Brazil and in other countries -, however, it's worth the try, mainly if we can continue working for results, without losing productivity and engagement, and prioritizing our quality of life
Four-day workweek in Brazil could become a reality
