What once seemed like a pipe dream is now closer to becoming a reality; the four-day working week is already being considered as a general policy for around two years’ time and, in the meantime, there is already companies that have carried out their own pilot schemes. At the moment, there are opinions on every side, so if you’re also keen to try this experiment, carry on reading this post; we’ll look at the possible pros and cons of this progressive measure and weigh up different points of view.
What would the proposed four-day working week look like in practice?
The methodology behind the four-day working week in Spain is based on a 100-80-100 model, that is to say: 100% in terms of salary, 80% in terms of hours, 100% in terms of productivity; in other words, under no circumstances should this be confused with the accumulation of 40 hours weekly sessions over four days, but rather to reduce them to 32.
This pilot project, which is being launched as the flagship proposal for improvements in the workplace, spearheaded by the Ministry of Industry, has already begun; it offers financial support to SMEs that reduce their employees’ working hours and lead the way in this change. Specifically, this programme will provide up to 150,000 euros for each company and will benefit between 60 and 70 SMEs, which will have to maintain this working week for at least two years in order to see the long-term results – but there’s more! Interested companies must reduce their weekly working hours by at least 10% and will have to maintain the four-day working week for two years, without this resulting in any reduction in the remuneration received by employees. Therefore, under this four-day working week model, neither salaries nor holiday entitlement would be reduced. The main aim is to maintain productivity whilst improving reconciliation of employees.
What do HR experts say about the four-day working week?
Several companies have already joined this pilot scheme in Spain, and some, such as Delsol Software, They highlight their positive experience. A more committed workforce, increased efficiency and a better working environment are some of the benefits they point out.
Other companies, such as Growara, A business consultancy firm has not only adopted this new approach but is also helping other organisations to implement it. What they do is propose strategies for adapting to change, provide training in the use of new technological tools to streamline processes, and put forward new models for team hierarchies in which leadership is more advisory in nature, collaborative working is encouraged, and the emphasis is on effective communication.
However, although most companies that have trialled the reduced working week have had a positive experience, not all of them are in favour of it. For example, according to executives at Amazon and Ryanair, the reduction in working hours affected customer service, leading to an increase in complaints about delays to orders or a lack of support staff.
Where did the four-day working week come from? It wasn’t in Spain!
The four-day working week originated in France in 1993, initiated and promoted by Pierre Larrouturou, who proposed a bill championed by Gilles de Robien. Larrouturou argued that the four-day working week could be implemented as a remedy for the global economic crisis. This idea was the seed of what, years later, would lead Prime Minister Lionel Jospin to approve, in 1998, the reduction of the working week from 39 to 35 hours with effect from the year 2000 in France, enabling many workers to benefit from four-day weeks.
What advantages and disadvantages have been observed with the four-day working week in pilot companies around the world?
As you know, Spain is not the only country to have launched this initiative; these are the conclusions that have been drawn at a global level.
Proven benefits of the four-day working week
- Increase in the productivity: In 2019, Microsoft Japan introduced a four-day working week and reported a 40 % increase in productivity1. Similar results were obtained in global trials in 2022: employees committed to completing 100% of their normal workload in 80% of the time.
- Improved physical and mental health: physical and mental health have improved as a result of reduced stress levels and sick leave: 71% of employees report feeling less ‘exhaustion’ and 39% say they are less stressed than at the start of the trial.
- Reduction in CO2 emissions: fewer journeys also means a reduction in CO₂ emissions.
- Major job satisfaction: More than nine out of ten employees who took part in the global trials said they wanted to continue with the four-day working week, rating their experience at 9.1 out of 10.
- It promotes a healthy work-life balance: The four-day working week makes it easier to look after children and sort out various personal matters.
The most negative aspect of the four-day working week
- Cost to businesses: Many companies cannot afford to pay the same amount for fewer hours. It is a luxury they cannot afford, whilst others may be able to but will not want to, as their profits would fall.
- Challenging sectors: there are sectors such as healthcare, education and the hospitality industry where a ‘mini-week’ would be very difficult to implement.
- Heavier workload: an employee with a heavy workload would probably have to complete the same amount of work in four days instead of five, which could cause them stress.
We hope this post has helped to clear up any doubts you may have had about the four-day working week. Subscribe to Educa.Pro and explore the topics that interest you most!
