As the ACT government considers the pros and cons of a four-day working week trial, a new report has shed light on the growing sentiment in government workplaces towards flexible working arrangements.
The ADP Research Institute ‘People at Work’ survey shows 30% of Australian workers in 2023 considered the adoption of a four-day working week to be the norm in their industries in the next five years.
These figures reflect not just a desire for reduced hours but also a change to the traditional five-day workweek structure.
According to workplace consultant Angela Ferguson, people accustomed to flexible arrangements following the COVID-19 pandemic are now looking for ongoing work with the same options.
“The main attraction of that four-day working week is really giving staff the benefit of having a lot more personal time, a lot more work-life balance,” Ferguson told The Mandarin.
The Futurespace co-founder believes employers are increasingly recognising the need to promote positive mental health in the workplace.
“Health and wellbeing is really important to a lot of people,” she added.
“The studies where it’s worked has shown that productivity increases,” Ferguson said.
“It doesn’t work for everybody — I think it depends on your culture, it depends on the type of business.”
The shift extends beyond a mere reduction in staff work hours. A quarter of Australian workers anticipate having full control over their hours within the next five years, the survey found, provided they meet productivity and results targets.
“People are actually more productive in the four days than they are in the five,” Ferguson said.
“It means that [extra] shifts actually don’t need to be covered.”
In government roles, restructuring the working week could see employees fulfilling full-time obligations within 32 hours instead of the conventional 37.5 hours. This condensed schedule, Ferguson suggests, could minimise the impact of individual absences on productivity overall.
However, the four-day working week may not be suitable for all workers, like for example, parents juggling family commitments.
“It could potentially be more restrictive, just depending on how it’s implemented,” Ferguson said.
This trend towards greater flexibility underscores a broader movement towards hybrid working models, where employees have the freedom to balance professional responsibilities with personal commitments.
“When it comes to developing what your future [organisation] looks like, it’s a really interesting time.”
Last month, the ACT government released its response to the final report into its four-day working week inquiry.
Queries about the progress of those deliberations for a four-day working week trial were not answered before publication.
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Four-day working week being considered in APS-wide bargaining
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