More and more countries are conducting pilot tests to implement the four day work day a week. From the United Kingdom to New Zealand, Iceland, Spain or Japan. In Colombia, the idea is just beginning to sound and there are few companies that have dared to take the leap.
(You can also read: Working hours: what is the economic impact of reducing it to 47 hours this year)
To find out the pros and cons of having to work four days and rest three, the Ricoh company was carrying out a pilot program. Camilo Vivi, CEO of the company, explained to EL TIEMPO how it works. “A better balance between personal and professional life is reflected in greater productivity, innovation and commitment,” he said.
How did the initiative to have four working days and three days off come about?
Since Ricoh’s founding in 1936, our philosophy has been focused on genuine concern for people’s well-being, which is why we have defined as part of our 2036 mission/vision to achieve the goal of «fulfillment through work» and This means that people feel happy in their work and that through the use of technology they can free themselves from repetitive tasks to unleash their creativity and potential. Under this framework that is part of our essence as a company, it saw the start of the pilot program to reduce the working day to 4 days.
This is why we are very happy to have started the pilot project for the reduction of working hours in Ricoh Colombia, betting on being pioneers in the implementation of new work styles that allow our collaborators to find a better balance between life personal and professional.
Has the company already implemented this working day in another country?
This model of Reduction of the working day It is part of a pilot project that has been gradually implemented in the fourteen countries in which Ricoh Latin America has a direct presence through subsidiaries.
Putting this pilot into practice has involved several years of prior preparation, developing alternative channels for our clients (e-business platform, specialized inside sales teams, Ricoh Solutions Hub, among others) to guarantee the continuous provision of services to all our clients. without any impact.
Camilo Vivi, CEO of Ricoh Colombia.
In the places where they have already implemented it, what benefits have they had?
We are currently in the middle of the implementation phase. What we have seen to date is the significant contribution of this measure to the “achievement through work” of our teams, bringing us one step closer to fulfilling our vision by 2036. We believe that a greater balance between life personal and professional, in the long term it is reflected in greater productivity, innovation and commitment.
What results do you hope to achieve with the four-day journey in Colombia? Do you think it improves productivity?
This pilot reduction of the j4 day work day It is designed for the well-being of our collaborators, which is why we put our portfolio of digital services at your disposal and at the command of our own processes, so that we can be more agile, complete projects in less time, release and enhance the creativity of our equipment. We will have a more precise analysis of the impact in a few months, when we have the respective metrics.
How long will the pilot go?
Ricoh Colombia began its 4-day work week pilot from January 1 and will end on February 24.
Is the day of the week that you do not work optional or will it be the same for everyone?
In order to carry out adequate coordination between areas and guarantee that our customer service and operations remain at a high level and there are no effects, the pilot is considered so that our collaborators can mainly enjoy Monday or Friday off. And in this way also encourage the concept of long weekends or long breaks; to resume 4 days in a row with high productivity.
Are the hours worked reduced without modifying the wages of the employees?
The pilot for the reduction of working hours that is being implemented in Ricoh does not modify the salaries of the collaborators, nor does it reduce the goals to be met and therefore, nor the objectives that as a company we define for the business.
What does the company do in Colombia and in which cities do they have a presence?
At Ricoh we accompany companies in their process of adopting innovative digital services that allow companies and their collaborators to carry out more efficient work based on technological solutions, information management and printing, to achieve the highest performance.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group has significant operations around the world, its products and services now reaching customers in approximately 200 countries and regions. In Colombia we have administrative offices in Bogotá, and a commercial presence in Bucaramanga, Medellín, Barranquilla and Cali.
How many employees do you have in Colombia, would they all come to work for four days?
At Ricoh Colombia we have a team of 270 collaborators. Our challenge has been implemented the pilot for all employees nationwide: however, we also recognize the importance of service to our customers and meeting our objectives, for this reason a small exception of employees is not participating in the pilot to keep their attention on site to customers who require it.
This pilot is allowing us to consider and evaluate the future scenarios and schemes that we will have to create internally if we want to make this modality a permanent scenario that can be enjoyed by our entire team.
What other non-salary benefits does the company have?
is ricoh colombia We are interested in our collaborators seeking fulfillment through work, this is part of our purpose, which is why many of our non-salary benefits are aimed at training technical skills, developing skills through self-training tools, participation in national and regional projects, training and academic sponsorships. These additional non-salary benefits are aimed at the health and well-being of our collaborators.
In some European countries where this type of working day is being implemented, the Government is supporting the companies participating in the pilots. Could Latin American governments also think about it?
For the moment, Latin American governments have not granted benefits to companies that reduce your working hours. However, and without a doubt, we believe that these ways of working, flexibility and greater orientation of organizations towards a balance of personal and work life, will impact and generate positive and constructive discussions with governments, to review the detail of the impacts in our countries. and assess the possibility of a genuine evolution of the current ways of working.
