Petrobras imposes controversial change: from April onwards, workers will have to report to the office three times a week, instead of twice! Protests and resistance are gaining strength. FUP is taking a stand against it and is proposing alternatives. This decision could be a milestone in the revolution of the state-owned company's work model. Understand the impact of this measure!
Petrobras, one of the largest companies in Brazil, has just made a decision that is already generating huge repercussions among its workers.
The state-owned company determined that, starting in April, employees who adopt the teleworking regime will have to attend the office for three days a week, instead of two, as is currently the case.
This measure, which changes the rules of remote work, has sparked a wave of protests across the country.
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After all, do Petrobras workers deserve to continue with the flexibility of working from home?
Or is this change essential for the company’s growth? Read on to understand what’s behind this decision and what it could mean for the future of work at the state-owned company.
Workers' revolt: protests gain momentum
The Unified Federation of Oil Workers (FUP), which represents Petrobras workers, did not remain silent in the face of this abrupt change.
According to FUP, the company's decision was imposed without prior discussion with the unions, which generated great discomfort among employees.
FUP announced that it will hold a protest this Tuesday, the 14th, at Petrobras headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, in addition to other demonstrations at the company's administrative bases and operational units.
For FUP, the measure imposed by Petrobras does not take into account the specificities of the different functions within the company.
According to the entity, there are jobs that can be performed entirely remotely, without any loss of productivity, while others, in fact, require the physical presence of the worker.
“The change was unilateral and needs to be reviewed, as working conditions vary according to the role performed,” says FUP.
FUP's proposal: more flexibility and monthly assessment
In addition to questioning the imposition of the new model, the FUP also suggested an alternative that, according to them, would benefit both workers and Petrobras.
The Federation's proposal is that the number of days of remote and in-person work be assessed on a monthly basis, rather than weekly.
This change would bring more flexibility to employees, allowing the individual needs of each worker to be met without compromising the company's results.
According to Deyvid Bacelar, general coordinator of FUP, the creation of a committee in each Petrobras unit to individually analyze workers' cases would be a viable and fair solution.
Bacelar believes this approach would allow employees who actually need to be in the office to be supported, while those whose roles can be performed remotely would have more freedom to work from home.
Petrobras' defense: agility in results and team integration
On the other hand, Petrobras justified the change based on a clear objective: to improve team integration and management processes.
The company claims that the measure aims to improve the agility in delivering results, since Petrobras is in an expansion phase and needs greater collaboration between teams to implement important projects.
The state-owned company also reinforced that the adjustments to the work model aim to optimize productivity and achieve more efficient performance.
Petrobras' decision is clear: all employees who have adopted the hybrid work model will need to attend the office for at least three days a week starting in April 2025.
According to the company, this new work format aims not only to strengthen interaction between teams, but also to achieve increasingly challenging goals for the company.
The opinion of FUP directors: home office does not harm productivity
Despite Petrobras' position, FUP refutes the idea that teleworking harms workers' productivity.
Cibele Vieira, director of FUP, argues that there is no evidence that home office has caused any negative impact on the company's results.
“We believe that the teleworking model has been effective and that changes in the rules need to be discussed in a transparent and respectful manner, taking into account the interests of both parties,” says Cibele.
The Federation also questions the lack of a more detailed analysis on the impacts of this change on employee well-being, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the benefits of remote work, such as reduced stress and increased quality of life.
Companies adapting to the new hybrid work scenario
Petrobras' decision reflects a growing movement in several companies, not only in Brazil but around the world, that are seeking to adapt their work models to the new scenario created by the pandemic. Many companies have started to adopt remote or hybrid work as a measure to protect their employees, but, with the stabilization of the health situation, some companies have revised these models in search of greater integration between employees and process optimization.
However, it is important to note that the transition to hybrid work is not a simple task, and employee reactions may vary.
In many cases, companies need to take into account the specific conditions of each worker and the nature of the activities performed.
The future of work at Petrobras: flexibility or control?
With the announcement of the new rules, doubts arise about the future of work at Petrobras.
By changing the conditions of teleworking, is the company seeking a more flexible and collaborative work model? Or, on the contrary, is it imposing greater centralization and control over its employees?
For state-owned workers, the answer seems to lie in a middle ground, where the flexibility of home office can be maintained, but without giving up integration between teams and the expected results.
In any case, Petrobras' decision is a reflection of a growing trend in Brazil, where companies are beginning to reevaluate the adoption of home office.
What is clear is that the change will directly impact workers' lives, and the discussion about the balance between remote and in-person work is still far from reaching a consensus.
Do you believe that Petrobras should maintain the remote work model or is it time to reinforce in-person work? Join the discussion in the comments!
Petrobras' board of directors should explain to its shareholders why it insists on spending tens of millions of reais every month to maintain physical space for the two mandatory in-person days (which it intends to transform into 3, i.e., increase spending even further). With a few exceptions, which can be treated differently, there is no gain in productivity in in-person work; quite the opposite! It is only old-fashioned managers who like to rejoice in seeing their team confined to cubicles in front of them but who know NOTHING about real management who insist on this setback. That and the hidden interests of some members of senior management in the real estate appreciation of downtown Rio.
The question is not “whether workers deserve to work from home.” This is a false premise. What needs to be evaluated is the result. Shareholders and the population as a whole are not interested in where a given employee performs his or her duties, but rather whether he or she performs adequately. I believe that the company has data available to make decisions without bias or prejudice. Furthermore, the company itself requires that most of its outsourced workforce perform administrative activities outside its facilities, i.e., working from home. This is somewhat contradictory. But, as I said, what needs to be evaluated are the numbers.
Today, there is a general problem corroding journalistic texts in Brazil. They no longer aim to inform or establish genuine debates that bring social benefits. Instead of debating the issue, addressing a labor, administrative, social, and economic perspective, they ask the question, “Do workers deserve it?” The press, which should establish a reference in the midst of the informational mud of the internet, is gradually surrendering to this same mud. We will all sink, without a real press, my friend. We will all sink hand in hand, the entire society!