The 4-Day Workweek: Euphemism for a Broken Work Culture

Spain is in the middle of a debate on the pilot project that it intends to launch to test the 4-day working week. Thus, this formula could land in Spain in the coming months, but moving away from the original Swedish model .

It was in 1930 that John Maynard Keynes predicted in " Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren " that by 2030, the working day would be limited to 15 hours per week. However, the current 40 hours of work per week are far from that consideration.

It is true that the values ​​on which society was based at that time were very different from our present. For this reason it is logical that the decrease in the working day has not occurred.

A deteriorated work culture

And is that the 4-day workweek is a short-term answer . It is also the painful acceptance that the work culture is broken .

Today, many people find themselves employed in offices. Starting and ending your working day with the corresponding check-ins and check-outs , and giving space to micromanagement .

But to what extent is it necessary to watch over the smallest detail when people are not the main focus of the organization?

In many cases, this type of management reduces the autonomy and flexibility that people need in their jobs.

On the other hand, it should be noted that many companies are taking giant steps to achieve a more prosperous work environment. However, there is an even greater joint challenge: rehumanizing the way we conceive work .

This is the only valid solution to recompose the culture that currently surrounds it. It is therefore necessary for leaders to invest in their human capital , understanding the strengths and fears of their workers. In the same way, they must offer them tools to develop their full potential and spaces to grow.

In short, it is about understanding your employees as the people they are.

Towards a healthy work reform

Both workers and large companies seem to agree with revising the work week. However, the winning solution to this question does not go through a utopian revolution . But rather for a healthy reform that puts the focus on the worker, providing autonomy and flexibility.

Because the real problem is not directly related to working hours.  But on how those hours are used and how they are perceived by the worker.

An alternative to consider is a more flexible workweek , spread over five days , as has been the case up to now . To do this, organizations should give their employees the opportunity to build strong and lasting relationships with each other. What would result in a healthy work experience , moving away from that painful perception that is related to work.

This solution is accompanied by digital tools that support all the real needs of the people employed. From a simple desk or room reservation, to the possibility of knowing in real time which other workers are present in the office. And even make the purchase of the week or book your means of transport to return home.

And this is how a convenient work environment is achieved. As well as more flexible internal communication and organization, and conscious management by companies. And all this resulting in the adoption of new healthy and stable work habits and dynamics.

The 4 day work week is not a solution

Therefore, we are in time to improve national occupational health . But to do this, we must first take a step back and understand that people are the most valuable thing in a company .

So, let's stop to think, no longer about how to make workers spend fewer hours at work. But how to make it possible for them to spend more quality time on it.