Should Australia introduce a four-day workweek?
Video clip at right: On October 20, 2023, 9 News televised a news report looking at moves toward a four-day week in Australia and overseas.
The Issue at a Glance
What they said...'It gives so many benefits to workers, to business and to the environment.'
Alyssa Shaw, campaign co-director for 4 Day Week Australia
'If it just means a faster assembly line and people getting really stressed and being put under a lot of pressure, I don't think that they would like that.'
Ben Friedrich, a professor of strategy at Northwestern University, Illinois
The issue at a glance
On January 9, 2024, it was reported that the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is about to establish a working group to plan the trial of a four-day workweek in sections of the ACT public service.
On October 23, 2023, it was announced that Medibank would begin a six-month trial of the four-day workweek among its workforce from the end of October 2023.
On March 23, 2023, Oxfam became the first Australian employer to announce a six-month trial of the four-day week with its 104 Australian employees.
Despite high levels of support within sections of the Australian workforce and some employers
; there have been signs of opposition to the four-day workweek trials. In July 2023, it was reported that the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) had rejected a proposed trial.
Public debate about the issue continues.