I still remember what I heard from an old school journalist when I started working: “more than what you do, what matters is how much time you spend appearing to do something important.” My eyes widened: it was the absolute antithesis of what I had learned in my years at German School, where, in good German fashion, the logic of productivity and efficiency was instilled.
Unfortunately, I confirmed that this was actually how things worked in many companies — between coffee, laughter, distractions and hallway conversations, too much time was spent there, just because, beyond what was necessary.
I remembered this in relation to , a hot topic that Brazil arrives at a century late. It was precisely in 1926 that the visionary who revolutionized the automobile industry and mass production methods, defined the five-day week as a rule in his company, establishing an extra day of rest for 55 thousand employees.
In 1914, he had already adopted the eight-hour day and the salary of US$5 per day, a huge innovation at the time. Ford saw far ahead: he did not see these changes as costs, but rather as investments. It considered them essential to motivate its precious workforce and stimulate production, while reducing high staff turnover.
The newspapers of the time testified to the suspicion with which the measures were viewed by critics, who condemned Ford’s business to ruin and anticipated disorder among the working classes. One hundred years later, we find the same pessimistic tone in Brazil regarding the different political proposals of .
There are those who fear a drop in the competitiveness of Brazilian companies, and even those, like , from the Republicans, emphasize that “the people are more exposed to alcohol, drugs and gambling”. An alleged danger that, seen from this side of the Atlantic (in a country where the limit of eight hours of daily work was established in 1919 and the 5×2 scale has been consolidated since the end of the 1990s, when 40 hours per week were imposed), makes you laugh…
Note: in 1936, France defined the rule of 40 hours a week. Today, in the European Union, the average working time is 37 hours per week (the Netherlands leads with 31.5 hours), and the discussion has already gone up another notch. The theme now is the jump to the 4×3 week, a model to be tested successfully. And even the Portuguese government does not exclude the possibility of applying it to the public sector, which already works only 35 hours a week.
Looking at the path taken in Europe, it is possible to draw some lessons. The first is that these developments must be accompanied by a reorganization of working methods and productivity gains, and a new law can serve as a driving factor for these improvements.
It is also true that there are industries where change is more difficult, such as commerce and services, and therefore it is recommended to establish a period of gradual transition. But one thing is clear: refusing this path is more or less like trying to stop the wind with your hands — it doesn’t solve anything, it increases frustrations and destroys gains. There is no need to fear: it is time for Brazil to reduce working hours.
LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access seven free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.
