Some 40% of Australian professionals believe the four-day work week will become a reality within the next five years, according to a survey of 41,965 professionals by global recruitment firm Hays plc. Another 21% think it will take at least a decade before a four-day work week becomes a reality.

Hays’ survey also found that 16% believe the four-day work week could come into place within the next 12 months, and 23% believe the four-day work week will never materialise.

“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 Nick Deligiannis, managing director of Hays in Australia and New Zealand.  “Proponents argue a four-day work week can boost productivity, improve employee morale and well-being, and reduce stress and burnout. At a time of talent shortages, it can also aid candidate attraction, engagement and retention.”

Still, Deligiannis said 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,” he said.

Hays noted a group called 4 Day Work Week Global developed the 100-80-100 principle that holds employees receive 100% pay for 80% time and 100% productivity targets. There are four main variations on how this can be implemented.

1. All work stops on day five and an organisation shuts down entirely for one extra day a week.
2. Teams or individual staff members stagger their days off.
3. Different departments adopt different work patterns, such as shorter days worked across all five days.
4. Hours are seasonally adjusted, with staff working 32 hours on average per week across the year.

Hays also noted a UK trial of a four-day work week involving 60 organisations and almost 3,000 workers found revenue, employee health and well-being, and job satisfaction all rose, while absenteeism, turnover, stress, burnout and fatigue declined.