The 4-day work week: trial case from Australia

I'd like to use one of our participating organisations as a short case study. This particular organisation is a small training company who moved to a four-day work week in August 2022 as an attempt to improve productivity. They had earlier read about the four-day work week in the media and heard that 4 Day Week Global were running a trial in Australia and New Zealand, and that provided the original catalyst for their move. They signed up for a six-month pilot with 4 Day Week Global and in doing so, gained access to a library of useful resources and guidelines. We were invited to participate in collaborative webinars and training sessions and got to meet 19 other companies who were also piloting the four-day work week at the same time. By the end of the six-month pilot, the organisation's overall capacity had increased by 11%. Their sick leave reduced by a third. They experienced a 600% improvement in recruitment. Stress levels went down, work-life balance measures increased, electricity usage dropped, and their Net Promoter Score increased from 20 up to 78.

They highlighted that the biggest challenge they faced when planning their move to a four-day work week was overcoming skepticism from those who simply could not believe that working less hours could result in improved productivity. They also emphasized that one of the key success factors for the four-day work week at their organisation was establishing the mindset that a gift day is a benefit. Something that is earned when the work gets done and can be taken away if the work doesn't get done, rather than an entitlement which everybody receives no matter what. They also reduced the frequency and length of work meetings and deprioritised work tasks that were either deemed unnecessary or which didn't add significant value.