In recent years, the idea of reducing the working week from five to four days has gained more and more space in the public debate.
It embraces the broader concept of wellbeing, i.e. the physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees within a company, and is a proposal that intersects mental health, productivity, sustainability and organisational innovation. In Italy, giants such as Intesa Sanpaolo, Luxottica, Lamborghini and Sace, as well as HR service companies, are experimenting with a Monday-Thursday week with equal pay, focusing on the benefits that come with it.
In particular, it is recorded:
- rediscovered psychophysical well-being in employees and co-workers, with less stress, reduced burnout, better work-life balance;
- increased productivitymotivated and satisfied people improve in commitment, efficiency and attachment to the company;
- reduction in absenteeismWith the short week, sick days decrease.
- attraction and loyalty of personnel: it is a clear plus for companies in the competitive labour market;
- lower turnoverA positive working environment is attractive, reduces resignations and new costs related to finding and training new resources;
- gender equalityThe short week can favour a more balanced distribution of household and family tasks.
- eco-sustainabilitylower energy consumption (fewer operating days), better quality of life, positive impact on mobility and the environment.
In Europe and the rest of the world, the short week is increasingly seen as the best compromise towards a somewhat prioritised family-work balance.
Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany have pilot projects, some have made it possible by national law (the Netherlands in 2022).
However, the Eurostat report shows us that EU citizens work an average of 36 hours, 1 hour less than in 2014.
Against the trend Greece which is preparing, in these hours, to vote on one of the most controversial labour reforms in Europe: the possibility of working up to 13 hours a day, a good 5 hours more per day, albeit paid at 40% more. A path not without obstacles and the trade unions, who are already speaking of an attack on workers' health and safety, are announcing battle.
However, despite the fact that the typicality of some sectors (health care, logistics) seems to argue against this modality, the main resistance from employers is the cultural resistancehabit of the “5 days for 40 hours” model, management concerns about efficiency, as well as response times to customers.
What is needed for it to work
- Flexible models, not one size fits all. Some companies use the “compression” model (more hours per day, fewer days), others reduce the total number of hours for the same salary.
- Dialogue with trade unions and company bargaining: to ensure that there are no abuses, that wages remain the same, that rights (breaks, maximum hours, shifts) are respected.
- Monitoring and data: effectiveness, productivity, staff satisfaction, economic impacts must be evaluated.
- Regulatory/fiscal support: incentives for adopting innovative models, clear regulations.
- Organisational change: more efficient processes essential, elimination of unnecessary activities, lean organisation, development of technology to reduce time wastage.
In essence, whether it is a short week, smart working or other forms of hourly flexibility contract, one cannot disregard the human resource and their family, social and personal commitments, at the centre of complex organisational systems.
The four-day working week is not (at least not any more) something purely idealistic: cases in Italy and around the world show that it is possible, especially if well thought-out models are adopted, if there is a willingness to innovate and attention to the balance between productivity and well-being!
Article by Sonia Palmeri
