In a move to enhance the wellbeing of both its people and business, multinational company Unilever will begin a four-day work week trial in Australia. The trial, which will commence on November 14, will see a select group of employees working four days a week.
The four-day work week will be trialled across Unilever’s seven Australian sites, with the company saying the initiative will promote a better work-life balance for employees and make the business more agile.
The trial will see employees work four days a week, but will still be paid for five days. The company will also look at ways to reduce the number of meetings and emails, and will encourage employees to take leave during the week.
Unilever will commence the trial in Australia after the successful trial in New Zealand earlier this year.
The Unilever trial in New Zealand lasted for 18 months and allowed employees to keep their full salary while only working 80% of the time. Staff were able to choose which days they took off or spread the reduced hours out over the week.
The trial, which was conducted with the support of the New Zealand government, was designed to help working mothers balance their responsibilities at home and at work.
During the trial, Unilever New Zealand saw an increase in productivity and a reduction in absenteeism. The company also found that the quality of work improved and there was a decrease in the use of sick days.
The trial showed that working mothers were able to balance their responsibilities at home and at work, and they were able to work more effectively when they had more flexible working arrangements.
Unilever New Zealand has now made the 80:20 working arrangement a permanent fixture for all employees. This is a significant step forward for working mothers in New Zealand, and it is hoped that other companies will follow suit.
