Study Shows Reducing The Working Day Does Not Affect Productivity
Working less and, consequently, being able to invest more time in hobbies, personal development, spending time with family and friends is a dream for the vast majority of workers. However, what once seemed just a utopian wish may be close to becoming a reality. Research carried out in England with 61 companies from different sectors revealed that, in addition to being successful among employers and employees, the reduction of working hours did not reduce productivity, an idea that goes against the grain of common sense on the subject.
The survey, carried out between June and December 2022 by the Autonomy research institute, sought to reduce the workday to a four-day week, that is, employees of the companies that participated in the test gained one more day off in the week. . After the end of the study, it was revealed that 92% of the participating companies decided to keep the working hours reduced.
According to Maria Hemília Fonseca, professor at USP’s Faculty of Law of Ribeirão Preto (FDRP), the English survey presents data that corroborate with other existing data on the subject and attest to the advantages of this reduction. “What was verified in this study carried out in England is that, in fact, there are benefits in reducing the working hours. In addition to proving that productivity was not affected, the gains, mainly in terms of work safety and workers’ health, are very large. There was an improvement in the mental health of employees, with a reduction in cases of stress and burnout, for example.”
However, she claims that the reduction of working hours does not only have advantages. “Disadvantages are also present, some companies claim increased operating costs and consequently reduced competitiveness with competitors that do not adopt this journey and, consequently, sell cheaper.”
Debate in Brazil and other countries
In Brazil, large-scale actions and studies, such as the one carried out in England, are not yet on the agenda, however, Congress has already received more than one proposal to reduce working hours in the country. The first is dated 1998, by then federal deputy Paulo Paim (PT-RS). The proposal required the reduction of the weekly working day to a maximum of six hours a day and prohibited the reduction of wages. The second, presented in 2019 by Deputy Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG), advocates reducing the working day to a maximum of 36 hours per week.
Currently, the Federal Constitution and the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) define that the daily workday is a maximum of eight hours a day and 44 hours a week. Finally, they stipulated only the maximum workload; if the company wants to offer a shorter working day to its employees, it has autonomy to do so, and can offer the measure as an attractive part of its benefits package.
However, Maria Hemília explains that, if any law that institutionalizes the reduction of working hours is approved, it ceases to be a “decoy for new employees” and becomes the law for all sectors affected by the measure. “Currently, companies have the choice of whether or not to adopt the reduction of working hours and whether this adoption will be collective, for all employees or, on a case-by-case basis, within the company. However, if this measure becomes law, it ceases to be a choice and becomes an obligation for all companies operating in Brazil.”
In addition to Brazil and England, countries such as Spain, France and Japan are already debating the issue. In Spain, for example, there is a proposal to reformulate the traditional work dynamics and adopt a four-day work week. In addition to these, according to the UN, countries like the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany already work, on average, less than 32 hours a week.
Research in expansion
In addition to England, in 2023 Brazil also receives a pilot project on the reduction of working hours. The initiative is from the NGOs 4 Day Week and Reconnect Happiness at Work. The project opened a form on its website for companies interested in participating to share their doubts. There will be clarification sessions with companies interested in participating in the experiment in June and, although there is no set date to start the project, it is scheduled to start this year.