Yes to short week but only on equal pay. The 66% of Italian workers (about 7 out of 10) would available to a four-day working week provided that not is salary hit. Only one out of ten workers (10%), on the other hand, would be available for reduction. 18% are willing to work an extra hour on other days to have a shorter week. This is what emerges from asurvey di The Adecco Group, the multinational personnel selection agency, which involved more than 2 people.
The pros and cons of the short week according to the interviewees
In research Global Workforce of the Future of Adecco, also carried out on social channels, thedissatisfaction with one's salary. More than half (about 61%) of the workers surveyed believe that theirs wage is not enough for deal with rising prices dictated by inflation. The interest in the short working week, according to the survey, reaches over 70% of workers. But what would be the benefits of reducing the number of days? According to many this tool would help improve mental well-being without having a negative impact on productivity. The aim of the short week would be to put people at the center to ensure more flexible working arrangements and a healthier work-life balance. And that's where companies try to attract or retain talent. In fact, 75% of Italian workers are inclined to stay in the company or to choose one when the employer's interest in the employee's well-being is perceived.
Ma there are also doubts about the four-day work week. The problems, for the interviewees, mainly concern four aspects:
- 33% suspect it would involve a salary decrease
- 27% fear it would cause a serious increased workload, however coming to have to work until late in the evening or on the day off
- 23% think it would lead to a greater stress load on other working days
- 17% believe it could be detrimental to career advancement, making the social elevator slower
Ever-changing world of work
The survey results show how the job market post-pandemic you keep transforming. If in 2022 the main phenomenon was those of Great Resignation, quitfluencers and quiet quitting, now the debate is about the four-day working week.
“The world of work is rapidly changing and we are living today a real cultural paradigm shift. If the idea of the 4-day working week, however fascinating, can prove to be a difficult project to apply, its absolute relevance in the contemporary debate is nonetheless evident. This because the way work is perceived is evolving and, more and more, employees are careful about the balance with private life. In a very dynamic labor market like the one we see today, it therefore becomes crucial for companies to develop policies that put flexibility at the centre, also with the aim of attracting and retaining talent" he declared Andrea Malacrida, Country Manager of The Adecco Group Italy.
