Over 30 companies move to a four-day week across Australia and New Zealand
Press release
Monday, 1st August 2022
A new four-day week pilot is underway, as over 30 companies and almost 1000 workers across Australia and New Zealand get an extra day per week back with no loss of pay. The six-month coordinated trial, run by non-profit 4 Day Week Global, operates off the 100-80-100™ model where workers get 100% of the pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintaining at least 100% of the output.
Participating companies operate across a diverse range of industries, offering services in the manufacturing, fashion, healthcare, real estate, finance, technology, education and PR sectors, to name but a few. They include:
Australia
● ABA Advice Beyond Accounting
● Ink+Iris
New Zealand
● BVT Engineering Professional Services
The trial will be followed by a team of researchers at Boston College, the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney, who work with each company to define and establish their research baseline and relevant productivity metrics for the trial. The economic, social and ecological impact of the four-day week is also monitored throughout, assessing productivity, employee wellbeing, and gender and environmental impacts.
This pilot is part of a series of international programs, with others already underway in the UK, US, Canada and Ireland, with many more planned in the coming months.
Suzanne Brown, Director at Perth-based real estate company, Rentwest said: “My two passions in running a business are the employee experience and the client experience. I’ve learnt that if you get the employee experience right, then the customer will ultimately benefit also.
“By giving our team one more day off per week, we believe they will turn up on the four workdays more engaged, more energised and more productive. We have already seen team engagement enhance significantly, simply due to the excitement of planning this trial.
“Right now, Rentwest happens to be an all-female office. 60% of the team are working mums – we’re raising 34 children and many fur babies between us. Other team members are juggling caring responsibilities for aging parents and trying to fit in other volunteering commitments.
“I’d like to see this trial be a success and adopted permanently, as it will allow us all to take the time to care for our loved ones while also giving a little extra time for ourselves in the working week.”
Maygan Holland, Director at New Zealand-based consultant engineering firm, Cook Costello Limited said: “At Cook Costello we are re-engineering our work week. We believe collaboration of teams and creating time efficiencies using all available resources are crucial components in ensuring a sustainable working environment.
“The four-day week has the potential to be an important tool for Cook Costello in supporting our people to have time for what is important in their lives. We are excited to be part of this trial and to see what difference it makes to the way we work.
“Unfortunately, the pre-Covid challenges remain, where the global shortage of suitable people-resources puts teams and projects under pressure. However, the lockdowns did compel us to focus on just what was productive work and what were our team’s priorities.
“At Cook Costello, we have been bringing innovation to the technical elements of consultant engineering for more than 45 years. Now we’re experimenting with operational innovation as well.”
Andrew Barnes, Entrepreneur and 4 Day Week Global Founder said: “When I had the idea to trial a four-day week at my company in New Zealand, Perpetual Guardian, I never could have imagined what was going to come of it. Now, four years later, after helping hundreds of companies and thousands of workers make the transition, all while hitting countless global headlines, we’re finally launching a pilot program back where it all began.
“We’ve already proven that success is possible and I’m very much looking forward to strengthening the evidence in favour of a four-day week with the positive outcomes this pilot is sure to produce.”
Charlotte Lockhart, 4 Day Week Global Founder and Managing Director said: “From business productivity gains to strengthened recruitment and retention; From reduced stress levels to improved work/life balance; From environmental sustainability to gender equality; The benefits of a four-day week are innumerous.
“We’re certain that this new way of working will soon become the new normal and once that happens, these pioneering companies participating in our pilot will be remembered and thanked for paving the way towards a better life.”
Professor John Quiggin, School of Economics, University of Queensland said: “Although there have already been preliminary trials with promising results, we don’t have enough evidence to say what works, what doesn’t and how workers and businesses will deal with a four-day week. This pilot is part of a series of experiments in different countries assessed on a consistent basis by leading academic researchers.
“In analysing the results, I will be particularly interested in two questions. First, how do responses differ in relation to gender and family responsibilities? And second, will the working arrangements gravitate towards a 4/3 structure, with one day (Monday or Friday) off, a core 3-day Tuesday-Thursday week, with reduced staffing on Mondays and Fridays, or remain similar to the current 5/2 structure, with flexible days off spread across the week?”
