Companies from different sectors are going to release employees to watch the games of the women’s soccer team in Brazil in the World Cup, which starts on Thursday (20), in Australia and New Zealand.
Even though it is not mandatory, according to the companies, the objective of the initiative is to promote diversity and value competition, following the model adopted in the men’s tournament.
Brazil’s first game will be at 8 am, on Monday (24), against Panama. The selection is in group F,, which also has France and Jamaica.
The second game will be against France and will fall on Saturday (29). The match against Jamaica will take place on Wednesday, August 2nd. The competition runs until the 20th of next month.
In the bakery group Bimbo —from the Pullman, Plusvita, Rap10 and Ana Maria brands—, all employees will be free to monitor the participation of the Brazilian team.
The activities of the production lines and distribution centers will be gradually adjusted during the games. Employees in the administrative area will have breaks in the office.
“Currently, the company has about 21% of women globally and, specifically in leadership positions, there are already more than 25%. We are promoting more and more initiatives to accelerate this process”, said in a note Mário Escotero, vice-president of People management
The Boticário group will also have a different schedule on the days of the women’s team games. Those working in the face-to-face model will have a structure set up in the cafeterias or auditoriums, depending on the times of the games; those working in a hybrid or remote scheme will start working one hour after the games or will be released one hour before the match.
According to the company, 60% of the workforce is made up of women, and they occupy 40% of leadership positions. “If we want a truly equitable society in terms of gender, race and other dimensions of diversity, we need to invest in a path that is consistent,” said Fabiana de Freitas, vice president of legal, compliance, ESG and institutional affairs for the group.
The Pague Menos pharmacy chain will also have an alternative schedule for match days. As the disputes in this round will take place early in the morning, employees in the administrative area will be able to enter at 1:00 pm. In stores and distribution centers, they will have a structure to monitor departures.
According to the network, 59% of leadership positions are occupied by women.
The CCR Group (which manages highways, airports and subways) will release the administrative teams one hour before the matches, with return to work one hour after the games. The release goes for both in-person and teams that are at home office.
“It is the first time that we have decided to put this type of initiative into action during the Women’s Football World Cup. It is part of a series of actions that have been reinforced, since 2020, with the creation of the Diversity Area and the Diversity Committee”, says Patrícia Anacleto, manager of the People area.
One of the company’s employees, Erymar Alexandre Costa, who works at ViaOeste (Castello-Raposo system), is the father of national team defender Lauren Leal, and will travel to watch the games.
At the energy company Siemens Energy, employees will start working after departures. On the 24th of July, for example, they will enter at 10am. In places where the team needs to work in person, screens will be installed and snacks will be distributed to the team.
Pharmaceutical company AbbVie, which has around 1,100 employees in the country, will also maintain a differentiated scheme for the team on match days in Brazil: employees will be able to choose to watch at the company or, in some cases, from home.
“It is essential to encourage and promote initiatives like these, in order to build an inclusive environment and a fairer society”, said director Camila Zanqueta, in a note. The company has two administrative headquarters in São Paulo, a factory in Guarulhos (SP) and a distribution center in Extrema (MG).
According to Febraban (the federation that represents the banks), the institutions are discussing the adoption of special journeys for game days.
The initiative does not only occur in the private sector. Last Friday (14), President Lula’s government (PT) announced that the days of the Brazilian team’s games will be an optional point for federal public employees.
According to Agência Brasil, the Minister of Sports, Ana Moser, asked the president to make the decision. According to information from the Ministry of Sports, working hours start at 11:00 am on days when the games start at 7:30 am and at noon when they start at 8:00 am. Hours not worked must be compensated by December 29th.
This only applies to federal servants — states, municipalities and mixed economy companies have the autonomy to enact or not the optional point.
