Brazil will start implementing a four-day work week in November, after three months of meetings with companies interested in the modelwhich has already been tested in other countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain and Australia, being the first of its kind in Latin America.
The initiative will be carried out through a partnership between the consultancy Reconnect Happiness and the organization 4 Day Week Global, a non-profit community founded by Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart to support the idea of ​​a four-day work week as part of of the future of work.
The project argues that, by redesigning the work week, it is possible to improve the quality of life of employees and increase the productivity of companies. The idea of ​​the pilot is for employees to reorganize their work to be more productive in less time, explained Renata Rivetti, founder of Reconnect, in an interview with CNN Brazil.
“We had a super positive surprise in Brazil. There are several myths in the country about the exaltation of excess work. But we had more than 300 companies interested in this start. There is great acceptance by companies, from micro-entrepreneurs to multinationals with thousands of employees,” he said.
The implementation process will begin between this month and July, with meetings between those responsible for the initiative and the participating companies to detail the pilot project, from the methodology to the expected results. In August, potential participants will be registered and Quantitative surveys will be carried out in November to evaluate the metrics of the companies involvedwhich will then be compared with the data collected during and at the end of the experiment.
Rivetti stressed that the implementation of the model is not just about “eliminating Fridays”, but to redesign the working day of employees. The project has already been tested in several countries and all the results have been positive in terms of business productivity, worker health outcomes, gender equality and labor sustainability.
“By looking at the global experiences, we had good results for people, companies and society. We see how much the pilot can transform the labor market in a healthier, more humane and productive way. It is the commitment of the employees to maintain 100% of the productivity, receiving 100% of the salary, but 80% of the time,” he said.
According to a pilot program carried out by 4 Day Week Global in Australasia, 95% of participating organizations were in favor of the reduced work week, with an average rating of 8.2 in terms of satisfaction. There was also a significant reduction in absenteeism and resignations, as well as high satisfaction on the part of the employees, who expressed their desire to continue with the four-day week after the experiment.
In addition, positive signs were found in terms of gender equality and the environment, such as a reduction in travel time and a greater involvement of men in housework and childcare. The ultimate goal of the pilot project in Brazil is to foster a new way of working that benefits companies, employees, families and communities, challenging gender inequality issues and promoting a more sustainable work environment.
dm