A four-day week seems to be turning into the dream of many workers around the world, and also the nightmare of others. Those who wish this to become reality believe the format would be fairer, after all, working four days and resting three, something more balanced. The other part, mainly composed of business owners, thinks that one less day of work could be harmful to results. Who is right?
The truth is, business owners have a valid point that we should consider: from the moment we ‘lose’ a day of work, we will inevitably accomplish fewer tasks during the week since we won’t have enough time to complete as many activities as before. The question then becomes, how to prevent this from negatively impacting productivity?
In order for the four-day week to be functional, it is necessary to understand how this new model will work because it’s pointless to take a day off if everyone else’s working hours will be longer and more extended. In practice, that’s what will happen initially and, I believe, for a long time. This is likely to end up demotivating employees over time, as they will have to work more hours and become more tired, which is not healthy.
The four-day week started in New Zealand in 2019 and expanded to other countries on different continents, under the management of the 4 Day Week Global movement, which is a nonprofit community. It has been successful in many of these places; however, some questions arise: could it become a reality here in Brazil? Would it really work?
At the beginning of this year, 21 Brazilian companies agreed to participate in a pilot project of the four-day week, advocating for the 100-80-100 model, meaning professionals receive 100% of their salary, work 80% of the time and maintain 100% productivity. Data released by 4 Day Week Brazil together with Reconnect Happiness at Work, the consulting firm leading the project in Brazil, show that the results have been positive.
Among the most relevant data are improvements in professionals’ energy at work (82.4%), project execution (61.5%), creativity and innovation (58.5%), and stress reduction (62.7%). As the end of 2024 approaches and this pilot project comes to a close, participating companies hope that all the investment in new hires and technology will be converted into attracting talent and more productivity.
For this reason, it is essential that companies adopting this format create a structured plan with productivity strategies aiming at team engagement and the fulfillment of their roles within a timeframe that aligns with the current work schedule. Also, they must be prepared to spend a bit more than they were used to in order to make the model work.
It’s clear that changing something so deeply rooted in the work culture worldwide will not be easy and requires patience throughout the process. There are countless challenges to overcome to make the four-day week work – in Brazil and other countries – but it’s worth the attempt, especially if we can continue working for results without losing productivity and engagement, and prioritizing our quality of life.
