The 4-day work week has become a reality in a company in Ouro Preto

Brazilian workers always celebrate a lot when a holiday falls on a Friday, like today. But imagine if every week was like this? At Efí, a digital account company based in Ouro Preto (MG), that’s exactly what’s happening.

Since July last year, Efí (formerly Gerencianet) has implemented a 4-day week for its 450 employees, becoming one of the few companies in Brazil and one of the largest in the world to adopt this measure. Ten months later, the results are amazing.

A sample of 50 company leaders indicated that 94% saw a positive impact on the quality of teams’ work. 86% considered that there was maintenance or an increase in productivity; And 88% considered that employees were less absent from work during working hours to solve personal problems.

And after implementing differential trip, Effie also noticed a decrease in quits. The decrease in voluntary terminations was 87% in the second half of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.

But executing a shortcut wasn’t easy. This requires a lot of commitment from the employees.

“We called the collaborators, asked them if they were ready to take on the challenge because production needs to go on. It couldn’t be less. And that was our concern. Will the company slow down? Will we lose product and service quality? Then what we proposed, everyone agreed and bought the idea,” he explains. Leoncio Nogueira, Business Director at Efí.

Since then, the environment has become more professional, but with more joy.

“We feel no loss in productivity. We notice that, during the meeting, people become more objective. They actually arrive asking what they need to solve. There is no more time to chat and tell stories, which is what eventually happens in these face-to-face meetings,” he says. He says.

Compliance with schedules also improved.

“Employees are also becoming more objective about starting and finishing on time because time is tight. And on the weekends, employees enjoy it so much. People use Friday to spend time with their families, take care of their health, walk their pets, and take care of personal matters during working hours.” Who doesn’t need to go to the doctor, the dentist, or the bank?

On Friday, a few employees from the technical side go to the company.

“In the infrastructure part, for example, we need some staff in the company because there may be a problem with some equipment. But they have a relay meter. Who works Friday off Monday. So there’s always someone available and everyone works 4 days a week.” Nogueira explains.

“People are more focused and happier. They arrive at work on Monday with a smile on their face. Thursday is our Friday!”

The benefits are reflected in the company’s results

Efí ended 2022 with a transaction volume of R$21 billion, an increase of 40% compared to the same period last year.

The customer portfolio has also increased: from 290,000 customers in 2021, the company ended 2022 with 370,000 – an increase of 27%. In 2023, the brand expects a 47% growth in revenue.

Efí is also the fifth brand approved by the Central Bank to act as a payment institution in the open finance environment and a direct participant in Pix.

“We implemented the reduced flight as a reward for the amazing results our team has achieved over the years. And the calculated numbers could not be different, because we realize that change provides multiple benefits to our employees, who return to work more motivated and relaxed, making a total difference in their daily work,” says Efí CEO Evanil Paula.

short time outside

In the UK, the 4-day working week has also been tested and approved by 92% of the companies that took part in the pilot project “The 4-Day Week Global”, which will keep travel limited.

The test was conducted between June and December 2022, and 2,900 employees from 61 local companies participated in it. In this project, professionals received 100% of their salary, working 80% of the time, in return for their commitment to maintaining 100% productivity.

Companies from various sectors voluntarily participated in the tests, such as education, banking, technology, human resources and retail.

In Chile, Congress approved, this week, a reduction in working hours in the country. Over the next five years, employers will have to reduce working hours from 45 to 40 hours, which is recommended by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The process will be implemented gradually: after the first year the working hours will be 44 hours per week. After three years it drops to 42 hours. And in five years, you’ll be up to 40 hours.

The trip can only be longer in some specific sectors, such as mining and transportation, up to 52 hours. However, companies need to guarantee more rest days later as a form of compensation.

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