A career expert from the University of Southern Queensland has urged employers to look at the evidence about the benefits of a four-day working week from trials in Iceland.
Two trials of a shortened working week were conducted in Iceland by Reykjavik City Council and the Icelandic government from 2015 to 2019, and included 2500 workers ranging from graduates to those approaching retirement.
As part of the trials, employees from a variety of professions moved from a 40-hour working week to a 35 or 36-hour working week, while receiving the same pay.
Research of the trials was published by UK think tank Autonomy and Iceland’s Association of for Sustainable Democracy revealed that “participating workers took on fewer hours and enjoyed greater wellbeing, improved work-life balance and a better cooperative spirit in the workplace — all while maintaining existing standards of performance and productivity”.
USQ career development practitioner and educator Dr Jennifer Luke said the four-day working week trials have been hailed as a success for a variety of reasons.
Dr Luke believes some Australian employers might be able to offer employees a shorter working week.
