Four-day work week trial recommended by parliamentary committee

A four-day work week trial and the "right to disconnect" have been recommended by a parliamentary committee in a report tabled Thursday.

The Senate Committee on Work and Care was established last year to  investigate the impact that combining work and care responsibilities has on the wellbeing of workers, carers, and those they care for.

The final report included a series of recommendations that are supported by both Labor and Green senators, The Guardian reported. Among the recommendations is the implementation of a four-day work week trial, where employees would work for 80% of their ordinary work weeks while still retaining their full salaries.

The pilot will be carried out across different sectors and locations, while in partnership with an Australian university, the Australian Associated Press reported.

The recommendation follows the growing momentum of the four-day work week scheme across the globe. In the UK, 92% of 61 companies that participated in a pilot run said they are continuing the scheme even after the trial because of its benefits.

A similar pilot run, also under the 4 Day Week Global, commenced in Australia and New Zealand in 2022 by 20 participating companies. Unilever also announced its own four-day work week trial for Australian staff after seeing success in its New Zealand trial.

Maximum working hours

In Australia, employers are not permitted to request or require a full-time employee to work more than 38 hours in a week, unless reasonable, according to the National Employment Standards. The Senate Committee on Work and Care's final report is seeking a review on this to see whether stronger penalties should be introduced for longer hours.

'Right to disconnect'

The final report from the parliamentary committee is also seeking the introduction of a "right to disconnect" outside work hours, the APP reported.

The suggestion comes as Senator Barbara Pocock, the committee chair, said they were surprised by "evidence of widespread and unpredictable rosters and working hours."

Technology that was introduced to boost flexibility has also "stretched the working day" outside of paid work, according to Pocock, adding this made it hard for people to disconnect from work.

"Our phones compete with our kids and then get in the way of our rest and recuperation. So, it's time that workers had a right to disconnect from work," she said in a speech.

The right to disconnect is another workplace trend that has been gaining ground as of late. In Portugal, the government has made it illegal for employers to contact staff outside of regulated hours. In Belgium, the government there expanded the "right to disconnect" policy to cover private sector employers with more than 20 staff members.