Four-day work weeks in Australia: Barbara Pocock’s drive to transform quality of life
Four days a week with full pay, rules that BAN bosses to communicate with staff outside of working hours and a year of government parental leave: Powering the workplace revolution for Australians
Australians could soon be paid their full-time wages to work just four days a week if sweeping proposals from a Senate inquiry are adopted.
The landmark report from the select committee on work and care endorsed a number of changes, including a year of paid parental leave and the right to disconnect from work outside of working hours.
Green senator Barbara Pocock, who chaired the inquiry, called on the government to seriously consider “ambitious” reforms to improve quality of life.
‘In our history, Australia led the world in workweek reductions in the 1850s. We are at the other end of the spectrum with too many Australians working long hours,’ he told ABC News Breakfast.
Australians could soon be paid their full-time salary to work just four days a week if sweeping proposals from a Senate inquiry are adopted.
“We need to think more seriously about how to deal with a changed workforce.”
The report recommended that the Albanian government test the 100:80:100 model. Workers would continue to be paid a full-time salary and maintain productivity despite working 80 percent of the week.
“We’re hearing a lot of evidence … from people who are already working four days a week in workplaces that are trying reduced work hours and getting very positive results,” said Senator Pocock.
“We’re seeing evidence of improvements in productivity, better work-family balance, and very good outcomes in the workplace and at home in terms of relationships and bringing your life and work together.”
The Labor government has pledged to reform the paid parental leave scheme, making it easier for new parents to spend time at home.
And by 2026, Labor hopes to increase paid parental leave to 26 weeks total, instead of the 20 weeks currently available.
But the Greens are pushing for stronger policies, including retirement leave payments and a clear path to 52 full weeks off.
“Government-funded leave should be paid at least the full-time minimum wage, and consideration should be given to encouraging employers to increase payments up to full wage replacement,” the report states.
The pilot would be distributed among the workforce and run in partnership with an Australian university.
The Fair Work Commission should consider a review of the idea of the 38-hour work week and whether to require stronger penalties for employers who made staff work long hours, according to the investigation.
Another key recommendation from the report was to restrict employers from contacting employees outside of business hours, unless it is an emergency.
“What people are saying is if we can work our business hours and once we get past those hours, unless it’s absolutely urgent, we should be able to turn off the phone and not be at their beck and call,” added Senator Pocock.
While the report was widely supported by Labor and Coalition senators, additional comments provided by members of the government noted that reforms might not be possible in the current economic environment.
“This fiscal reality necessarily places constraints on social policy,” said Labor senators Deborah O’Neill, Jana Stewart and Linda White.
‘It is now the government’s role to consider the report and its recommendations within the context of broader budgetary and legislative constraints.’
Green senator Barbara Pocock, who chaired the inquiry, called on the government to seriously consider “ambitious” reforms to improve quality of life.