Higher productivity of employees, but also a better balance between business and private life, are just some of the benefits of a four-day working week in a company in Serbia. Fewer working days could become a practice in other companies as well.
– The introduction of a four-day working week gave good results – said Alexander Hangiman, CEO and partner in that company – Since October, when this way of working in the company came to life, there has been a greater motivation of employees, agility, but also an increase in responsibility and quality of service.
During the pilot project, a research was conducted which enabled a decision to be made on the basis of measurable data on the long-term introduction of a four-day working week in this company. The pilot project is thus being adopted – permanently, according to this company. In addition, in order to ensure business continuity and contact with clients and partners, a mandatory duty of one person from the team was introduced during the fifth working day.
Two years ago, the real storm in the world was raised by the Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin, when she announced that she was in favor of shortening working hours to four days a week. After that idea, the Danes also started a discussion on the introduction of a four-day working week. Belgium recently adopted a proposal for a “healthy working week” – four working days during the week. In addition, bosses are not allowed to call their employees after hours. The Germans also want this working week, provided that the number of working hours remains the same.
However, Serbia is generally still far from this working model. As Hangiman explained, our market is in transition. We have good employers, but also an example of those who are not. Experts come here with their families from all over the world, and on the other hand we have places like Leskovac, Nis, Vranje, where markets are in transition.
– The market should grow enough so that employees have the opportunity to move to another employer – Hangiman pointed out. – The biggest saturation of the market is in Subotica. There, the worker can easily move to another employer when he is dissatisfied with the existing one. Where there is a lot of work, there is the position of the employee good. Because companies are fighting for their workers. What worries us the most, however, is the departure of health workers. Serbia did not protect this profession, as Romania did and allowed them to stay and work in their country.
The forerunner of the European idea to reduce working hours to four days a week was the company “Javor” from Ivanjica. Namely, in the eighties, they shortened the working day from eight to six hours and the results were fantastic. Sickness has decreased, and productivity has increased by some 30 percent.
Sex break
Sweden has almost reached the greatest rights of workers, so a few years ago there was a proposal to introduce a paid hour break during the working day, so that they could go home and have sex.
Overtorneo city council member Per Eric Muskos said at the time that there were studies that showed that sex was useful and that it would help improve relationships. Not everyone will have sex, he believes, but someone may go for a walk.
Lack of labor force
It is not realistic to expect that someone from Albania or Northern Macedonia, as “mini-Schengen” countries, would come to Serbia to work when they can go, for example, to Slovenia, Hangiman believes.
– I expect that Serbia will “introduce” the missing labor force from the east. Certainly, I believe that, say, doctors from Cuba would be good for Serbia – says Hangiman, Novosti writes.
