Should Australia introduce a four-day workweek?

- Web links, documents and video clips

On January 12, 2024, The Hill published a comment by Jose Maria Barrero and Steven J Davis titled 'There's no magic in a 4-day workweek'. The article reveals the low uptake of different working arrangements in the United States and claims little employer interest in the 100-80-100 four-day workweek model which it describes as the 'magic' version.
The full text can be accessed at

On January 8, 2024, The Globe and Mail published an analysis titled 'Will AI enable a three-day workweek? Certain billionaires think so, but some experts disagree.' The analysis looks at the potential for AI to either reduce working hours or boost company profits by allowing workers to be laid off.
The full text can be accessed at

On January 1, 2024, The Advertiser published a report titled 'Will 2024 be the year of the four-day work week? Research suggests yes.' The report indicates that over a third of Australian companies expect a transition to a four-day workweek within the next five years.
The full text can be accessed at

On December 27, 2023, AWNA (a company that represents employees making claims against unfair dismissal) published an article titled 'Four-day work week: The pros and cons'
The article details recent developments in Australia that indicate interest in the four-day week and considers advantages and disadvantages of the proposal.
The full text can be accessed at

On November 12, 2023, TRIB Live published a comment by Julie Y Cal, economist on the domestic team at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). The article is titled 'A 4-day workweek is a win-win for all'. Cal argues that a four-day workweek could offer major advantages for workers, companies, and the environment.
The full text can be accessed at

On November 6, 2023, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by Nataliya Ilyushina, Research Fellow, Blockchain Innovation Hub, RMIT University, titled 'A 4-day week might not work in health care. But adapting this model could reduce burnout among staff'. The piece argues that a modified version of the four-day workweek might help prevent burnout and resignations among health workers.
The full text can be accessed at

On October 26, 2023, The Daily Telegraph published a report titled 'More Australians offered four-day work week as small businesses struggle with worker shortages'. The article looks at the incentives that some small businesses are offering to attract employees.
The full text can be accessed at

On October 24, 2023, The Advertiser published a report titled 'Australian Services Union backs Medibank's 4-day work week trial'. The article details that the Australian Services Union is seeking a four-day workweek for its members.
The will text can be accessed at

On October 8, 2023, The Financial Times published a comment by editor Roula Khalaf titled 'Working week: four days is flawed for most'. The opinion piece examines the limited range of businesses that participated in British four-day workweek trials and argues the initiative is not suited to many workplaces.
The full text can be accessed at

On October 4, 2023, The Hill published a comment by Liberty Vittert, a professor of data science at Washington University in St. Louis, titled 'A four-day workweek would destroy everything that made America great'. The article argues that many of the claims for the success of the four-day workweek are misleading and that adopting it would harm the American economy.
The full text can be accessed at

On September 13, 2023, ACS Information Age published an article titled '4-day work week enshrined in union agreement'. The report details the enterprise bargaining agreement reached between the Australian Services Union (ASU) and Oxfam Australia which allows all its full-time employees to work a shorter week for the same pay.
The full text can be accessed at

On September 6, 2023, 4 Day Week published a detailed list of all the countries in which workers have a four-day workweek.
The full document, with links giving greater detail, can be accessed at

On May 5, 2023, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by Tony Syme, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Salford Business School, University of Salford and Maria Paola Rana, Lecturer in Economics, University of Salford, titled 'Why three-day weekends are great for wellbeing - and the economy'. The authors look at the results from recent international trials of the four-day workweek and suggest that the arrangement has benefits for all.
The full text can be accessed at

On March 24, 2023, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by Anthony Veal,
Adjunct Professor, Business School, University of Technology Sydney, titled '4-day work week trials have been labelled a 'resounding success'. But 4 big questions need answers'. The article examines the success of recent international trials of the four-day workweek but argues that there are issues which still need to be resolved.
The full text can be accessed at

On March 10, 2023, Yahoo Finance published a report titled 'Four-day work week trial is coming: "It is time". The report detailed some of the recommendations of the Australian Senate Committee on Work and Care. One of the recommendations was a trial of the four-day week spread across sectors and locations and conducted in partnership with an Australian university to measure the impacts.
The full text can be accessed at

On December 2, 2022, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Director, Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford, titled 'Four-day week trial confirms working less increases wellbeing and productivity'. The article comments on the recent successful trials of the four-day workweek.
The full text can be accessed at

On August 4, 2022, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by Wim Naudé,
Professor of Economics, University College Cork, titled 'Five reasons why the four-day week won't work'. The comment argues that many of the supposed advantages of a four-day week will not eventuate.
The full text can be accessed at

On February 14, 2022, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by John Quiggin,
Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland, titled 'There's never been a better time for Australia to embrace the 4-day week'. The article argues that many of the effects of the COVID epidemic on different sections of the Australian workforce have created favourable circumstances for the introduction of the four-day workweek.
The full text can be accessed at

On September 14, 2021, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by Abigail Marks, Professor of the Future of Work, Newcastle University, titled 'Why the four-day week is not the solution to modern work stress'. The article argues that the four-day workweek is not feasible for many types of work.
The full text can be accessed at

On July 14, 2021, The Conversation published a comment and analysis by Anthony Veal,
Adjunct Professor, Business School, University of Technology Sydney, titled 'The success of Iceland's "four-day week" trial has been greatly overstated'.
The article explains that the Iceland trials were based on work reductions of much less than a day and that their positive productivity data may not be representative.
The full text can be accessed at