The clock is ticking: 40% of Kiwis expect a four-day work week within five years

“The four-day work week has been a topic of discussion for several years, but the pandemic shifted the way we work and now many professionals continue to prize flexibility,” said Adam Shapley, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand.

 

“Proponents argue a four-day work week can boost productivity, improve employee morale and wellbeing, and reduce stress and burnout. At a time of talent shortages, it can also aid candidate attraction, engagement and retention. 

 

“However, there are also concerns about the practicalities. Many employers worry that a shorter work week could lead to decreased productivity, increased labour costs in organisations that require staff onsite five days a week and increased pressure on staff to meet current outcomes in fewer hours. 

 

“Despite this, it seems that many workers are optimistic about the prospect of a four-day working week becoming a reality. As organisations continue to experiment with different working patterns, it will be interesting to see if this optimism is justified and whether the four-day work week will become more widely adopted in the years ahead.”

 

The 100-80-100 principle was developed by 4 Day Week Global and holds that employees receive 100 per cent pay for 80 per cent time and 100 per cent of productivity targets achieved. It’s the main framework used by organisations when trialling or adopting a four-day work week.  

 

There are four main variations of how this can be implemented:
 

A separate Hays survey in the UK of over 9,600 respondents found five per cent of organisations have introduced or are trialling a four-day work week and nine per cent are considering it. Over half (53 per cent) of the professionals surveyed would consider moving jobs for this working pattern. These professionals also said a four-day work week would improve their mental health and wellbeing (69 per cent), organisational productivity (12 per cent) and talent attraction (5 per cent).

 

A UK trial involving 60 organisations and almost 3,000 workers found revenue, employee health and wellbeing and job satisfaction all rose, while absenteeism, turnover, stress, burnout and fatigue declined. Almost every organisation in the trial plans to continue with a four-day week.