Hundreds of Aussie workers in four-day working week trial
The company behind Paddle Pop ice creams and Dove toiletries will permit hundreds of Australian employees to work a four-day week after research showed staff could be just as productive in four days as they could in five.
From November 14, Unilever will test a four-day working week for its 500 workers in Australia. It will involve them keeping 100 per cent of their pay while cutting their hours to 80 per cent, provided they maintain 100 per cent productivity.
The 12-month trial involves all staff except factory workers covered by current bargaining agreements.
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A similar trial of Unilever staff in New Zealand, monitored by the University of Technology Sydney, was successful, the UK-based consumer goods multinational said.
Employees working a four-day week showed strong results against business targets, including revenue growth, with the vast majority of staff reporting feeling engaged. Absenteeism dropped by 34 per cent.
Individual wellbeing also improved for staff, with stress dropping 33 per cent, and workers' feelings of strength and vigour at work increased by 15 per cent.
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Unilever Australia will permit hundreds of Australian employees to work a four-day week in a one-year study. (Unilever Australia) Supplied
Research showed work-life conflict fell 67 per cent.
To retain productivity levels, employees were encouraged to hold less frequent but more efficient meetings, reduce their reliance on emails and adopt technology such as Microsoft Teams.
Unilever New Zealand managing director Cameron Heath said the four-day working trial had been successful for the business and its workforce.
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Unilever New Zealand workers were encouraged to hold fewer meetings and send less emails as part of the four-day week study. Getty
"We're excited to see the trial extend to Australia, and know the toolkit and learnings we realised in Aotearoa (New Zealand) will translate well to our peers in Australia," he said.
Today's announcement follows calls for Australian employers to adopt a four-day working week.
The Greens party campaigning in the Victorian election has pushed for a trial in a Melbourne electorate and funded by the Victorian government.
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