Yahoo Finance Aussie companies adopting four-day work week
Aussie companies trialled working four days a week with no cut to their pay.
Aussie companies like Rentwest Solutions are moving to four-day work weeks, following a successful trial program.
Non-profit 4 Day Work Week has been running a six-month trial with 26 companies across Australasia and found 95 per cent of organisations favoured the new hours.
Only one organisation said they would not move forward with the four-day-work-week model, which saw employees keep 100 per cent of their pay, while reducing their hours to 80 per cent and maintaining 100 per cent productivity.
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‘Overwhelming yes’
Perth property management company Rentwest Solutions said their key indicator for success was customer experience.
“Throughout the trial, we had several check points to assess this and, although we tried, we found no change to the customer experience – in most cases it had improved,” general manager Michelle Rigg said.
“We also conducted several check-ins with the team and, at the end of the trial, it was an overwhelming ‘yes’ to continuing.”
The company was one of 10 Aussie companies involved in the trial, including ABA Advice, Byrne Consultants, Momentum Mental Health and The Walk.
More businesses onboard
Family-owned business EES Shipping, who was not involved in the trial, also recently announced it would adopt a four-day work week with no cuts to pay.
Managing director Brian Hack said staff morale was up, productivity was up and there had been fewer sick days called in.
“I believe this is the way forward and we’re just jumping the gun,” Hack told Nine News.
Oxfam Australia is also offering staff a four-day-work-week trial, as is Unilever Australia.
Less stress, fewer sick days
Companies rated the 4 Day Work Week trial an 8.2 out of 10, saying they were satisfied with business productivity, performance and the ability to attract new employees. They also saw a 44 per cent reduction in sick and personal days.
About 96 per cent of employees were keen to continue the four-day work week, with two-thirds reporting less burnout and more than a third feeling less stressed. One in 10 even said no amount of money would make them go back to a five-day week.
4 Day Week Australia is calling on the federal, state and territory governments to undertake further trials in a range of different workplaces, including hospitals and schools.
In March, the Senate Committee on Work and Care called on the government to back a four-day-work-week trial.
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