I rise today to speak on the four-day work week. I encourage members in this chamber, as well as the ACT community, to consider a trial of the four-day work week. The four-day work week comes with no loss of income nor conditions; that is, reducing the number of hours worked in the week, not simply compressing the same number of hours in fewer days.
Mr Deputy Speaker, you might be interested to know that the world’s largest trial of the four-day work week was conducted in the United Kingdom, where organisations implemented a four-day work week for their employees. The outcomes of this trial were overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting increased levels of physical and mental health, an improved work-life balance and higher levels of productivity.
The report stated that 96 per cent of employees said that their personal lives had benefited and 86 per cent of employees felt that they had performed better at work. One year after this trial in the UK, 89 per cent of companies have continued to utilise the four-day work week. Earlier this year, other results that have been revealed after the trial include a much lower turnover rate among workers, increased efficiency and happier employees. In a follow-up survey for managers and CEOs, 100 per cent of them reported that the four-day work week had either a positive or a very positive impact on their organisation. It is clear that these sustained results have shown not only the short-term impacts but also the real and long-lasting effects which benefit not only the employees but also the organisations they work for.
Other trials are being conducted around the world, including in Germany, which at the start of 2024 has 45 companies trialling the four-day work week for six months. In a recent survey, 73 per cent of workers were in favour of reducing the work week to four days whilst still receiving the same wage. Similar to the UK, Germany has adopted the 100-80-100 model, whereby the four-day work week involves employees receiving 100 per cent of their normal pay, with 80 per cent of the work hours and 100 per cent of the productivity. The results one month into the trial have indicated employees are already stating that their satisfaction and happiness have increased, they are increasingly motivated and they have improved life satisfaction. I am confident that Germany will continue to have similar outcomes to the UK trial.
Here in Australia, Medibank Australia has found similar results, where workers reported enhanced sleep, better productivity and an improved quality of life. In fact, 96 per cent of employees who have been on the four-day work week trial wanted the four-day work week to continue. Medibank’s head of HR noted recently that there was a noticeable reduction in stress levels across the employees, which was attributed to their increased autonomy, fewer meetings and a greater work-life balance. Additionally, the Medibank study found that the number of sick days that were taken by workers decreased by two-thirds. Evidently, the employees who were working a four-day work week have improved wellbeing both inside and outside of employment.
It is clear that these promising results from trials around the world and here in Australia underscore the potential for the four-day work week to revolutionise the way we approach work in the ACT. It is also important to recognise that there have been significant societal shifts since the pandemic, with workers and employers reconsidering the importance of workplace flexibility.
The country that introduced the four-day work week in 1940, the United States, has seen Bernie Sanders recently propose legislation to reduce the work week from 40 hours to 32 hours, without any reduction in pay. Senator Sanders emphasised that shifts longer than eight hours and any work weeks that go beyond 32 hours of work should be eligible for overtime pay. The senator encouraged the United States to adopt a four-day work week so that productivity and the wellbeing of employees and employers rise—something that has been noticed around the world.
The traditional five-day work week no longer aligns with the needs and expectations of modern employees. By providing employees with an extra day off each week, we can significantly improve their work-life balance and their quality of life. Embracing a four-day work week reflects the shift towards prioritising the wellbeing of employees while addressing excessive working hours, stress and burnout caused by overworking.
As the Committee on Economy and Gender and Economic Equality has recommended, I am also in support of the report’s recommendations to establish a trial of the four-day work week here in the ACT public service. This recommendation is in lockstep with the federal parliament, whose Senate Select Committee on Work and Care recommended that a trial of the four-day work week take place within the ACT government. Considering that we have support from the Australian federal government to trial the four-day work week here, looking at the ACT public service, I once again encourage members in this chamber, as well as the ACT community, to support exploring the possibility of a four-day work week here in the ACT.
