Experts recommend a four-day work week, but no extra hours or lost wages.

The Portuguese Laboratories for a Healthy Work Environment (LABPATS) recommends the introduction of a four-day work week without loss of wages in order to better combine professional and family life and preserve new generations.

“This four-day work week works only under certain conditions: that there is no reduction in wages, that is, that a person is not paid less, and that a person does not have to do daily work on these four days, otherwise it ends. due to full overload,” explained Tanya Gaspar, coordinator of the work developed by LABPATS.

Recognizing that there are some professional activities in which the four-day week is easier to apply than in others, the psychologist adds: [da semana] in a factory, for example, in four days there will be four very hard days, and this can lead to exhaustion.”

Tanya Gaspar believes that companies need to change their paradigm “if they want to retain professionals”, explaining that “new generations have a different attitude towards work and really value their well-being.”

“Work is the area of ​​your life, but not the area of ​​your life.”

In a set of recommendations that Lusa had access to and will be presented on Tuesday in Lisbon, the experts advise changes to occupational health legislation by integrating a professional psychologist/occupational social scientist into teams to heighten the relevance of mental health. and psychosocial, one of the dimensions posing the greatest risk in the study conducted by the investigators.

To obtain recommendations, the lab assessed 2,000 professionals from a wide variety of fields such as healthcare, government, education, industry and food service, identifying different levels of risk in terms of a healthy work environment. The highest is associated with mental health and “burnout”.

To encourage organizations to create a healthy work environment, they recommend the creation of tax breaks and/or incentives.

They also advocate that health and well-being should be a priority in setting policies and programs in various ministries and that the trust and speed of the employment mediation system and the judiciary should be valued and encouraged by allocating more resources. All with regular checks to monitor compliance with the law.

“This issue of health and well-being should be a priority (…) for various programs of various ministries. We cannot think that, since it is called “Health”, it belongs to the Ministry of Health or, since it has a job name, it is from the Ministry of Labor,” the expert said.

At the organizational level, they recommend that companies have programs in place to prevent psychosocial risks and promote the psychological well-being, participation, and productivity of professionals, “principally in terms of stress, burnout, harassment, and balancing work, work, and leisure time. “.

They should also encourage the participation of professionals in setting corporate policy and participating in the organization’s governance activities, and permit telecommuting or hybrid work whenever possible.

At the leadership level, they advise making the well-being of professionals a priority in human resource management practices, encouraging continuous learning of knowledge and leadership skills.

To create a healthy work environment, they recommend promoting empathetic leadership and encouraging professionals to be rewarded for merit, whether financial or non-financial, such as providing extra days off/holidays.

They also advise encouraging greater perseverance with management/management to “share the goals and effectiveness of management itself and professionals in a fair and realistic manner.”

“Giving a voice” to professionals, encouraging moments of exchange, active listening with psychological safety are other recommendations in the field of leadership.

At the professional level, they advise developing self-care, self-regulation, and self-knowledge skills (to avoid extreme situations such as “burnout”) and argue that they should be supportive and involved in developing strategies to improve working conditions.