The cabinet will present a document to the social partners on Wednesday in which it proposes to test the four-day week in June 2023 for six months (that is, until November) – only by voluntary private companies. After that, “a month of reflection is planned, during which management will reflect on the experience and determine whether to keep the new organization, or go back to the five-day workweek, or adopt a hybrid model.”
From November to the end of January next year, the period will take place in which companies can show an interest in participating in the experience. The companies will be selected in February 2023. And then, from then until the beginning of June, the pilot experiments will be prepared in each of them. In 2024 it will be possible to adopt the new model definitively.
In the document to be discussed – and to which the DN had access -, “the experience should not involve a salary reduction” and “should involve a reduction in weekly hours”, which the voluntary companies will determine, “by agreement between the management and the labourers”. In any company, the experiments will “have to involve the vast majority of employees”. This “except for large companies”, where this is “only possible in a few branches or departments”.
The government has already ruled that the state will not provide “financial compensation” to companies that volunteer. Instead, it will provide “technical support” through a “service that specializes in advising companies on this change, with a focus on changing internal processes and solving the problems that arise naturally”.
“[Será] It is important to study the use of employees’ time on rest days to understand where and how unworked time is used.”
The Portuguese model is inspired by pilot experiments conducted in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (see column opposite). The document cautions that if voluntary companies “recognize and maintain the benefits of the four-day week after the six months have passed,” it does not mean “assumed these benefits would be common to all companies,” although it is “an important indicator.” to move on to a more in-depth study” with “new, more ambitious phases”.
But he adds: “If this management practice doesn’t work in these companies – and they will be those who have a genuine interest in making it work – then it would be very unlikely to succeed if it were generalized to other national companies.” because it is a “not to continue” indicator.
According to the government document, when evaluating the pilot experiences, it will be “important to study workers’ use of time on rest days, to understand where and how unworked time is used.” And even “measure the effects” on their “well-being, quality of life, mental health and physical health”, as well as their levels of “commitment to the company, job satisfaction and intention to stay in the organization”.
The assessment – also stated in the government note – will be carried out “through surveys (before, during and after the experience)”, which “will be designed to be comparable to other international experiences, but adapted to the Portuguese reality”, with the aim being “to promote the intersection of the data generated in these surveys with the official databases”.
Source: DN
