Australia is lagging behind many countries in adopting a four-day workweek despite research showing that giving employees a shorter week at full pay can boost job satisfaction, improve mental and physical health, and reduce burnout.
Belgium became the first European country to legislate a four-day workweek in 2022, while more than 200 companies in the UK, most of them charities, marketing and technology firms, have since done the same according to the UK-based 4 Day Week Foundation.
Sixty UK companies that took part in a trial of the four-day workweek in 2022 – which refers to 100 per cent pay for work done in 80 per cent of the time with 100 per cent output – reported a 65 per cent reduction in the number of sick days taken by staff.
The companies’ revenue stayed broadly the same over the trial period, rising by 1.4 per cent on average. When compared with a similar period from previous years, organisations reported revenue increases of 35 per cent on average, the 4 Day Week Foundation said.
A four-day workweek has been proposed for discussion at this week’s productivity summit, with the Australian Council of Trade Unions formally pushing for shorter hours for workers to boost performance.
The union cited a study published in Nature Human Behaviour of 141 workplaces globally that had opted in to a four-day workweek and reported improvements in burnout and health, and a boost to efficiency and collaboration.
Marilla Akkermans, the founder and managing director of Melbourne marketing agency Equality Media and Marketing, which began trialling a four-day workweek in 2022, said regularly surveying staff about the policy enabled her to adapt it to suit the changing needs of staff.
Akkermans said the company’s buddy system enabled staff to take either a Friday or a Monday off, had reduced meetings by 68 per cent and led to a 90 per cent staff-retention rate.
A day off each week was not guaranteed, was contingent on staff completing their workload and was viewed as successful if staff could take a day off “between 70 and 80 per cent of the time”.
“There’s definitely times when people aren’t getting full days [off], but they’re still being able to take some time. The general feedback on that is they appreciate being able to take the time at all and know they can take the time without feeling guilty or being judged for taking it.”
