A little over two years ago, companies around the world were forced to change their work model overnight. Without any planning, millions of workers started working at home. Now, the challenge is another: is a shorter workweek possible?
Of course, each company knows its own reality and need, and the objective here is not to induce any choice. Quite the opposite! We want to show you the pros and cons so you know your options.
So, after all, is it worth instituting a shorter workweek at your company? What will happen to productivity with fewer hours a week? Follow along to find out more!
What is a smaller workweek or a four-day workweek?
A shorter workweek, or four-day week, means that employees will be available to the company four days a week instead of the usual five.
And this does not mean an increase in the number of hours worked per day. A week that is really smaller represents a smaller number of hours as well, that is, instead of 40 hours a week, the total working time would be 32 hours.
In this sense, there is no need to talk about a reduction in wages. Pay remains the same as the full week, but professionals work fewer hours to earn it. The explanation is that technology (Artificial Intelligence, modern software, automation) has optimized the performance of various activities, making tasks more efficient.
Thus, with the work done more quickly, the objective is to provide workers with more time for leisure and family life. The idea of having an extra day on the weekend seems quite attractive to anyone, but it is important to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of this model.
Advantages of the shorter work week
Among the advantages of a shorter working week, we can mention:
- Increased sales and productivity: Research shows that more tasks tend to get delivered when people work fewer hours, i.e. there is less procrastination. In this case, from 35 hours a week onwards , productivity starts to drop. Microsoft Japanese itself did the test, closing on Fridays during the month of August 2019. Compared to the same month of the previous year, there was a 39.5% increase in productivity ;
- Burnout cases fall, reducing the company’s expenses with leaves and absenteeism. In this same sense, workers, having one more day a week, start to take more care of their physical and mental health, becoming healthier and, naturally, more productive and willing;
- Increased talent retention – happy workers tend to be more loyal to the company they are in;
- Reduction in operating costs such as electricity, water, office supplies, etc.;
- Reduction of absences for personal commitments. If the employee has an extra day a week, he can take advantage of the moment to resolve his issues outside of work.
But since not everything is rosy, there are disadvantages to the one-day-less-week work model.
Disadvantages of the shorter work week
Above, we saw that there are several benefits to working just four days a week. Now, on to the disadvantages:
- Consumers may feel frustrated for not getting the expected service, but this problem can be solved by adapting teams and technology;
- Fear of reduced productivity: many entrepreneurs are afraid of the damage that may occur with the reduction of the work week. They say that studies and experiences, even if positive, are still few, recent and not consistent with their market;
- Concern with smaller training sessions: with the reduction of the week, the training time of professionals also ends up being smaller. And that, in theory, could lead to errors;
- The model is not for everyone: it is believed that some professionals need more time to carry out their tasks, with more effective support from a manager. This goes for business: some industries don’t support a four-day week. Sectors such as logistics, security and health typically need coverage every day.
The truth is that the model is still recent and many entrepreneurs are concerned with the end result of this reduction in hours worked. Employees, on the other hand, are afraid of the possibility of a decrease in wages and loss of labor benefits.
Shorter work week: could this be your reality?
The pandemic and its effects have encouraged major changes in ways of working. There was encouragement for entrepreneurs and professionals to explore new ways of carrying out activities. And this movement will not stop: every day, new experiences emerge to encourage a more balanced life between professional and personal.
But your business doesn’t have to jump on every new trend right away, you can take it one step at a time. How about starting by paying more attention to your team’s health?
This is an excellent initiative to ensure their physical and emotional well-being, assuring also an increase in productivity and disposition.
That’s right! Productivity can increase if your employee’s health is up to date. For this, count on Conexa’s corporate benefits! Click here right now and see how easy it is to take care of the health of your employees
