Government-backed 4 day week trial commences in Portugal
The government-funded pilot of the 4-day work week starts this week in Portugal. It includes 39 private-sector organisations, 27 starting a 4 day week on the 5th June and 12 which have initiated it earlier. The aim of this project is to measure the impact of reduced work time on the physical and mental health of workers, as well as the economic and functional impact on organisations.
Participants have committed to reducing weekly hours while maintaining full pay. Companies volunteered for the program without financial compensation and can reverse the measure at any moment, should they choose. Recruitment was open to all private sector firms in Portugal and the government is providing technical services, in partnership with 4 Day Week Global, to support the transition.
The participating firms come from a wide range of sectors. While most companies are engaged in professional, scientific and technical activities, the trial will include a nursery, a care home, a stem cells bank, a research and development centre, and firms from manufacturing, retail, and not-for-profit sectors. Their main motivators for participating were to reduce levels of stress and burnout for workers, and improve staff retention.
The project is being coordinated by Dr. Pedro Gomes, Associate Professor in Economics at Birkbeck, University of London and author of the book Friday is the New Saturday, and Dr. Rita Fontinha, Associate Professor of Strategic Human Resources at Henley Business School and co-author of the Henley White Paper on the Four-Day Week. They will track the experience of companies during the trial to determine the economic, societal, and environmental implications of the 4-day week.
The coordinators of the project, Dr. Pedro Gomes and Dr. Rita Fontinha said: “In the last 30 years, so much in society has changed: the technology we use, the speed in which we communicate, the types of jobs that we do, the length of our lives, or the role of women in society. But we still organize work in the exact same way. We believe that the 4-day week is a more efficient and sustainable way of organising work in the 21st century, and one that brings mutual benefits for workers, businesses and the economy. This is the philosophy behind this project. With the support of 4 Day Week Global, we’ll work together with companies and their workers, to help them experiment the 4-day week, and evaluate its effects in the context of the Portuguese economy.
CEO of 4 Day Week Global, Dr Dale Whelehan said: “We are delighted to be working with the Portuguese government on this pilot, commend them for their leadership, and encourage other jurisdictions to act quick. Our research clearly demonstrates the 4 day week is better for business, workers and the environment, and we’re looking forward to this cohort experiencing the benefits of reduced work time first-hand.”
The Portuguese Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, said: “Portugal is taking another step in the future of work. The 4 day workweek pilot-project assumes work life balance as critical to attract workers and to improve productivity and innovation. The best companies are the ones who guarantee that they are a space for talent and for fulfilment of workers. We are pleased with the positive response to this experiment, and it is certain that it will not result in a reduction in compensation. This project will be closely monitored and evaluated. This is just the beginning – a promising start – of one of the many changes we are implementing in the labour market of a country that is experiencing historically high levels of employment and is eager to attract and retain talent. The future belongs to those who can attract the best workers with strong skills and a higher level of happiness, in a globally competitive market where Talent and People are the best resources.”
For more information, contact:
4 Day Week Global (media@4dayweek.com)
Birkbeck, University of London, Ilayda Arden (i.arden@bbk.ac.uk )
Henley Business School PR team (les13m2@reading.ac.uk )
Portuguese Labour Ministry, Marisa Ferreira (marisa.ferreira@mtsss.gov.pt )
Notes to the editor
For more information about the development of this pilot program, download the Birkbeck and Henley Business School initial report here.
For a list of companies on this trial who’ve consented to being publicly named for international press, click here.
About 4 Day Week Global
4 Day Week Global was founded in New Zealand by entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart, following the world-renowned success of their pioneering trial of the 4 day week in Perpetual Guardian.
Since then, 4 Day Week Global has supported over 1,000 companies from a variety of industries all over the world to make the permanent transition to reduced-hour, output-focused working. Last year alone, they guided approximately 200 organisations through their pilot programs and plan to run further quarterly global pilots in 2023.
Their approach is based on the 100-80-100™ model designed by Lockhart alongside the Perpetual Guardian trial in 2018. That’s 100% of the pay, for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to delivering 100% of the output.
In 2023, they formed a partnership with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang to further develop their global consultancy and broaden their research. He just released his third book on the 4 day week, Work Less: Do More.
4 Day Week Global’s ambition is to make a 4 day week the new default and reduced working time the new standard. Its intention is to lead and grow the global movement for a shorter working week to make it a reality all over the world.
About Birkbeck
Founded in 1823, Birkbeck, University of London, is a world-class research and teaching institution, a vibrant centre of academic excellence and London's only specialist provider of evening higher education. Our evening teaching allows students to progress their life goals during the day, through work, volunteering or internships.
www.bbk.ac.uk | @BirkbeckUoL | youtube.com/BirkbeckVideo
About Henley Business School
Henley Business School is triple-accredited and part of the University of Reading. With campuses, offices and partnerships around the world, over 7,000 students from more than 100 countries and over 87,000 alumni from 160 countries, it is a truly international institution. Courses are enriched by up-to-date knowledge, research and commercial experience, and aimed at students and professionals at every stage of their career – from undergraduate through to postgraduate, PhD, MBA, DBA and executive education.
