The debate on the four-day working week has resurfaced with force during the last year thanks to initiatives such as that of the Government of the Valencian Community or that of Spain, the policies of companies such as Software Del Sol and controversies such as those of Telefónica or Belgium. A constant buzz to which a group that in Spain brings together more than three million workers, the self-employed, is no stranger.
It is possible to work four days. All the information that has circulated about this reduction in the working day has made the self-employed consider whether it would be feasible to apply it to themselves, and a significant number of them consider that it is, according to data from the report Employment Supply and Demand in Spain : the view of the self-employed on the labor market, prepared jointly by Adecco and Infoempleo.
The aforementioned report indicates that 42% of self-employed workers consider it possible to work one day less a week without endangering the viability of their business, even if it means earning less. Of that 42%, 19.5% of the self-employed consider that they could reduce their working day to 32 hours while maintaining their full salary, while 22.5% estimate that their income would be reduced proportionally to the hours they work. they stop doing their jobs. Despite this, the latter would not mind billing less if it means having more free time.
On the other hand, 58% of the Spanish self-employed consider that it is not feasible to work less, and among the reasons they argue they point out the excessive loss of income, the decrease in productivity or the inability to cover the fifth day of work, essential in many business with other employees.
The other side of the coin. Despite this idyllic vision of more than 40% of the self-employed who consider that they could work one day less of the week, the reality today in the group is much harsher. And it is that 30% of those surveyed say they have to work six days a week to carry out their business or independent work, and just over 25% say they have to spend seven days a week for the same purpose. Currently, only 8% of self-employed professionals say they spend less than five days a week on their tasks.
In addition, regardless of the days a week they work, the days of the self-employed are also intense, since 19% of them say that they spend more than ten hours a day on their tasks and 36% between eight and 10 a day, by 27% who say they spend between six and eight hours.
forced by circumstances. Another striking piece of information included in this report is that the majority of self-employed workers, 70%, became self-employed professionals out of necessity, not for pleasure. And, in fact, 60% of those surveyed say that they would prefer a full-time salaried job, because they consider that it would give them more peace of mind.
However, despite the little predisposition of the current members of this group to become self-employed, half of them consider that they are happier since they are self-employed for the following reasons: not having bosses, the possibility of establishing their their own schedules, the feeling of greater freedom and the opportunity to work on what they really like.
Telecommuting setback. The authors of the study also questioned those surveyed about teleworking, and found that remote work among the self-employed is receding, and there are already 57% who opt for face-to-face work compared to 43% who prefer to carry out their tasks remotely. In previous years, teleworking had more weight in this group.
Among those who opt for remote work, the majority option is the hybrid modality with only one or two days of face-to-face work (23%), days that many use to meet with clients. As for the preferred place to carry out teleworking, the majority opt for their own home (53.5%).
Those who work in person, and could do so remotely due to the characteristics of their profession, indicate that they choose this modality because it allows them to socialize and see clients in person (66%), because their home does not meet the appropriate conditions ( 13%) or because it entails additional costs (4%).
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism