The new model contributes to the well-being of workers without affecting productivity. Testing will begin in November in Brazil “We’re stuck in a 19th century model of working, being in the 21st century,” said Andrew Barnes, CEO of Perpetual Guardian – a New Zealand company that manages additives, wills and estates – in his Ted Talk titled […]
The new model contributes to the well-being of workers without affecting productivity. Testing will begin in November in Brazil
“We are stuck in a 19th century model of working in the 21st century,” said Andrew Barnes, CEO of Perpetual guardian – New Zealand company that manages addendums, wills and estates – in its Ted Speak titled The four day week. But what does this mean?
The five-day work model emerged in the mid-1920s. Ford has established this weekly load with the aim of increasing productivity and reducing absenteeism – non-compliance. With the growth of the industry and the popularization of this form of production, the trend became established and has remained to this day. However, the situation could change.
The new proposal
Imagine being able to extend the weekend to include Friday or Monday. Or, who knows, maybe take a break on Wednesday, in the middle of the week. These three cases are possible options for the recalled initiative Global 4 day weekcreated in 2019. And which is gaining more and more strength after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The aim is to propose a reduction in the workload to 32 hours per week, without affecting employees’ pay or performance. This is the 100 – 80 – 100 principle, i.e. 100% of salary, 80% of time and 100% of productivity.
4 day week in Brazil
20 Brazilian companies will participate in the pilot tests which will begin in November and last six months. After this period, each company will be able to decide whether or not to maintain the working method. But let’s get to the facts, what we can really expect from this change that will affect many workers.
First, we must consider that Brazil is not the pioneer in carrying out these tests. Countries such as New Zealand, Iceland, Spain, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom experienced it and eventually joined the 4-day work week. In the UK, for example, 92% of companies that tested it decided to continue with the model. This resulted in a 71% reduction in burnout symptoms and a 2% increase in revenue.
And in practice, will a 4 day week work?
Everything points to yes! But what impacts would this change have on the lives of workers? According to psychologist, clinical therapist and speaker Luana Couto, the only risk associated with reducing working hours would be linked to a lack of organization. “The level of stress can increase if demands and activities are not adjusted,” explains the professional. It also highlights proper guidance and leadership as a solution to these cases.
“It is important that there is always alignment between challenges and objectives in relation to the time necessary to dedicate to execution. For starters, companies can apply management practices that ensure compliance with formal working hours and that control the issue of volume of requests.”
The psychologist reiterates that it makes no sense to adhere to the new model without putting into practice the ideal it pursues. “As incredible as it may seem, we are in a moment where some practices are discussed and not lived. There are still people who say they feel embarrassed to leave at the right time. What changes the culture is the consistency of standards,” he emphasizes out.
The focus must be on well-being
Luana draws attention to a factor supported by the 4-day working week that is currently applied by few companies: enhancing the quality of life of employees inside and outside the company. “There are several studies that demonstrate that the strategy of ‘do more at any cost’ and that pushing people to demand the most makes no sense. People fulfilled in the pillars of their personal lives, with time for leisure activities, who have you respect timetables and other agreements, you produce better, you dedicate yourself to your career, you value the work you respect more and you tend to behave like entrepreneurs”, he explains.
However, the psychologist underlines that every professional brings with them a personal repertoire built over the course of their career, therefore they can deal with change differently than other colleagues. “For some, at first, the reduction of a working day can affect the activity schedule and even trigger some symptoms mentioned in cases of burnout. Isolated symptoms do not necessarily constitute a severity if treated in a timely manner, both with support professional healthcare provider, such as the psychologist, and in conjunction with the reorganization actions of the company itself. The important thing is to double the attention in the transition phase.”
It is up to the company to ensure the success of the change
For the specialist, it is the company’s task to conduct this transition smoothly and transparently, always paying attention to the impacts caused primarily on the needs of employees. “The company must talk widely about change, align expectations, establish support so that managers and employees can freely discuss replanning activities. It can also establish measurement metrics aimed, for example, at compliance with formal working hours, research aimed at to capture feedback from employees before, during the change and after, to assess, among other things, how they perceive and feel about the new routine.”
Finally, Luana concludes by saying that taking care of the workers is the key to making all this work. “Having a listening ear allows the company to act preemptively and maintain an open space for employees to feel heard and welcomed.”
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
